Bus 1225
by Guineapigs1
Summary: Having noticed Kyoko's strained relationship with Ren, Kanae works together with Yashiro to come up with a plan to force them to talk it out. Instead of joining their friends on an LME-sponsored vacation, Kyoko and Ren are tricked into acting like newlyweds on Bus 1225, a tour group full of couples. Will this trip ultimately bring them together? (Expect the Unexpected Challenge)
1. Chapter 1

**On my first visit ever to the official Skip Beat! discord, I saw a challenge posted by wolfdancer333 called the "Expect the Unexpected Challenge" and decided to take up the challenge. ****Now initially, I thought that it would take me a while to come up with an idea for a fic confining to these rules, but lo and behold, I suddenly had a brilliant idea lying down in bed that night! I have no set update schedule for this fic since my main focus is on updating _Love is Immortal_, but I still wanted to put out the preliminary chapter to see how popular it would be.**

**Here are the rules to the "Expect the Unexpected Challenge"!**

_1\. The story can have any pairings in any order but it has to end with Ren/Kyoko as the final pairing. With no set length it can be as long or as short as you want! _

_2\. The story MUST be tagged in the summary or title with 'Expect the Unexpected Challenge' so we know the story is included in the Challenge! Also: there is no time limit. Whether you have been with Skip Beat! For 12 years or you have just found it, this Challenge will be here for everyone, forever! As long as you tag your story, this Challenge has no ending! _

_3\. Lory CANNOT be the main perpetrator. Yes, yes, he is the most likely one to throw Ren and Kyoko together but not this time! Think outside the box. Takarada, Lory is hereby banned from all love activities for this challenge! (Lory: unmanly wailing in the background) However, because I am a kind challenger: Lory cannot be the perpetrator….But he CAN be involved in whatever way that does NOT make him the main initiator. (Lory: cheers and throws rose petals in the air) _

_4\. I don't want to hinder the many, many ways to throw Ren and Kyoko into unexpectedly romantic situations HOWEVER! There is a rule to this! (I know, I know, I'm evil.) It has to be a forced and completely unexpected development! Examples: a surprise cruise/vacation for all LME employees, a dating show, a variety interview where Ren and Kyoko appear together without the other knowing, Skip Beat! Bachelor, etc. Any situation where the two are thrown together unexpectedly and have no choice but to deal with it. And it has to be sort of public, a big deal, with no way to escape._

_5\. There has to be at least one fight between Ren and Kyoko but the fight does NOT have to be in the story! As long as it's made clear that a fight has happened between them, it will count! At least one destructive fight (I'm talking the works: arguing, possible screaming, teary Kyoko, angry Kuon – let me know they are in a serious fight that could destroy everything they have), an extremely awkward moment for both of them (together or separate), and of course, no Skip Beat! Ren/Kyoko Challenge would be complete without this last one: THE FREAKING FINALLY, AT LAST KISS! The kiss must be initiated by Kyoko but it can be for any reason related to the story! _

_6\. In a lot of fanfics, Ren is the one who reveals his identity (or someone close to him like Lory or his Dad) but not this time! This time, for this Challenge, Kyoko is the one! Kyoko MUST already know that Ren is Kuon or Corn but NOT both. For example: she can know he is Kuon but has no idea he is Corn or vice versa so that she knows he is Corn but has no idea he's a Hizuri. For this Challenge, you can write her knowing that Ren is Kuon or Corn into your story or you can hint at it from before your story BUT! You have to include Kyoko figuring out the opposite identity IN your story! Whichever identity about Ren she DOESN'T know, you HAVE to include! _

_7\. Ahem….There HAS to be a shirtless Ren (I don't think I even need to explain why this rule exists XD) and a sweetly funny scene between him and Kyoko while he's shirtless! The reason he lost his shirt, I leave up to you :p _

_8\. Now, this part is the best one! Excluding shirtless Ren. The story NEEDS to include both a jealous Kyoko and a jealous Ren and as a bonus: anyone who throws Kimiko, or the actress who kissed Ren, and Sho into the story as a jealous prop will get extra points! XD _

_9\. Finally, the last rule! This is the most important rule of them all! HAVE FUN!_

* * *

"Kyoko-chan! Don't forget the bus ticket that your friend gave you!"

"Hai! Thank you for reminding me!" Kyoko bowed, turning back to grab her bus ticket out of the Okami's outstretched hand.

"Have fun on your trip," The Okami smiled. Kyoko gave her and the Taisho a wide grin and word of thanks before rolling her bag out front to the car waiting outside. Ruto was already waiting on the pavement to take her suitcase from her, and he opened the door of the backseat for her. Kyoko's smile widened as she saw her best friend sitting in the backseat. Once she was seated inside and buckled up next to Kanae, Ruto began the drive to the LME meet up spot.

"Moko-san! Good morning!" Kyoko exclaimed perkily.

"Good morning," Kanae responded, although a lot less excitedly than Kyoko.

"Are you excited for the trip too?" Kyoko asked, her eyes glowing with her own excitement.

"We're going to have to stay on a bus for hours on end for a week. And who knows what the LME president has planned for the trip?" Kanae groaned.

"But Moko-sannnn, this is the first time we're going on a trip together!" Kyoko pouted. Kanae didn't reply.

...

When the Love Me duo arrived at the bus station, Kyoko insisted that she would take care of her own bag as Ruto unloaded the car. She thanked him profusely before heading into the busy bus terminal with Kanae.

Kanae glanced down at her phone to see a new text. _All set._

_"Good. We're here next to the information board," _She quickly texted back.

Kanae looked up from her phone to see her friend marveling at a stand selling bento boxes for kids with cute characters on the boxes. Kyoko looked back to see Kanae and gave her a bright smile. Kanae felt a pang of guilt. Hopefully Kyoko wouldn't hate her after today...

"Ah! Kotonami-san! Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko stiffened and turned towards the voice, seeing Yashiro coming towards them with a messenger bag in his arm. And to his left, there was a man in a large overcoat and sunglasses who Kyoko most definitely did not want to see.

"Yashiro-san. Tsuruga-san. What a pleasant surprise," Kanae smiled, although she had expected to meet with them.

"Good morning, Kotonami-san," Ren greeted Kanae before turning to her companion hesitatingly. "Mogami-san."

"G-Good morning," Kyoko replied curtly, turning towards Yashiro to try to avoid any more conversation with the fairy prince who had lied to her over and over again. She had been avoiding him ever since she had learned of his true identity.

...

_"Mogami-san, I have something very important to speak to you about."_

_Kyoko turned from the sink where she had just finished washing the dishes from the meal she had made for Ren. She had been surprised initially when he asked her to come to his place to make dinner. He had only said that he had something important to discuss with her, but she would never turn down an invitation to dinner from her senpai._

_Kyoko finished washing her hands and joined Ren on the couch, waiting for his next words. What could be so important that he had to ask her to come to his place to speak about? _

_"Mogami-san, I'm really sorry for keeping this from you for so long. I really never expected to ever meet with you again, and when we first met each other, we weren't exactly on the best terms, but… I__'m Corn."_

_Kyoko blinked, her mind too confused to respond. _

_"You're Corn pretending to be Tsuruga-san?" Her befuddled brain spat out words as it tried to piece together the new development._

_"No. I'm sorry, Mogami-san. I lied to you that day I met you in Guam because I knew how important Corn's memory was to you, and I didn't want to ruin your memories of him," Ren looked down guiltily. Kyoko's brain processed Ren's words for a few more seconds before her eyes widened in understanding and she stood up in shock. Her brain was overloading with the development, but one single memory from Guam stood out among the rest. If he was Corn, then that would mean he had kissed her in Guam and told her that he loved her, but Kyoko knew for a fact that Ren loved a high school girl. If so, why would he have kissed her?! Tears came to Kyoko's eyes as a single explanation came to mind. He must have been toying with her._

_"Y-You must have thought I was stupid in Guam for still b-believing in fairytales. You were playing with me this whole time!" Kyoko frowned, her eyes filling with tears of hurt. Ren's eyes widened at the unexpected distress he had caused her._

_"Mogami-san, I really didn't think you were stupid for still holding onto hope with Corn-" Ren stood up, trying to placate her, but Kyoko's reasoning had come to a conclusion, and she was unwilling to listen to anymore of his words._

_"How could you?! You knew exactly how Shotaro had used my feelings for him against me, and you did exactly the same thing! Was Guam a game to you?! Was it really funny for me to fall for your lies again and again?!" Kyoko yelled, causing Ren to look down in shame._

_"I meant everything I said that day," Ren argued, but this only riled Kyoko up more._

_"Even now, you're still trying to lie your way out of this. I don't know if I can trust any of the words coming out of your mouth now, Tsuruga-san."_

_"I understand you need time to process this, but please, Kyoko-chan-"_

_"Don't call me that!" Kyoko screamed._

_"Please, Mogami-san, let me explain-"_

_Kyoko's face was now covered in tears, and she shook her head violently. "No. I don't want to hear it."_

_"Mogami-san, please-"_

_"Tsuruga-san, I just can't take any more of this. First it was my mother, then Shotaro, and now you. I just…" Kyoko shook her head, grabbing her bag off the coffee table and searching through it. She pulled out a small pouch and dropped the Corn stone into her palm._

_"I just don't think I can take this anymore," Kyoko said lifelessly, grabbing Ren's hand and placing the stone into his palm. He could only stand there stunned as she walked out of his apartment._

_..._

She hadn't expected that one conversation could wreck their relationship so badly. After that day about two months ago, she had avoided him, and he had not pushed her about the issue. Other than exchanging the usual pleasantries whenever she was unfortunate enough to cross paths with him, she had never initiated a conversation with Ren again. Truly, she was afraid. Afraid of what that kiss in Guam meant to him and the subsequent confession. There was no way that he could actually be telling her these things truthfully since he was in love with that high school girl, so the only explanation was that he had tricked her. He had played with her heart just like Shotaro had. She didn't think she could survive that blow to her heart if he told her the truth like Shotaro had. She had just regained that feeling, and it had been crushed yet again, and she didn't think she would be able to mend her heart again. Kyoko replayed that conversation in her head at least once a day, wondering what he would have told her if she had stayed and listened to him. Would he have crushed all the remaining hope in her heart?

"Ah, are you two excited for the trip as well?" Yashiro asked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere and bringing Kyoko's attention away from Ren.

"Yes! I'm excited to sightsee and spend time with my friend!" Kyoko exclaimed, clinging happily onto Kanae's arm who only rolled her eyes.

Yashiro glanced at Kanae who shook her head at her friend's antics and pointed to the ticket in her hand. Yashiro lifted his own ticket, nodding that all was going according to their plan.

Both him and Kanae had noticed the change in Kyoko and Ren's relationship during the past two months. It was truly heartbreaking to see how entirely devastated both Kyoko and Ren were. Kanae had not seen a true smile from Kyoko for a whole month, and she would always freeze up whenever Ren was mentioned. Yashiro, on the other hand, had been subjected to only Ren's gentleman smiles that hid Ren's true feelings to the public. One day, Kanae had come to Yashiro to complain about how broken Kyoko was because of Ren. That day, they had compared notes about the subtle changes in their two friends and had come to the conclusion that there must have been a misunderstanding between the two. After a month, they had subtly attempted to push the two together to have a conversation, but Kyoko avoided Ren like the plague, and Ren seemed intent on letting her do it until the end of time. Even the president of LME had attempted to push them together with his love-mon ways, but his plans had not worked either. There were only so many ways that Lory could spur the two of them on, and neither had reacted in the way he hoped when he showed them the photos of Kana-san kissing Ren and Sho kissing Kyoko. Unless Kanae and Yashiro did something about it, who knew when the two would be on speaking terms again?

"I think it's time we get going, Yashiro-san. Have a nice vacation," Ren bowed his head to no one in particular, walking off without another word. Yashiro quickly said a small apology for Ren's aloof behavior before running off to catch up to his charge.

"Hey, Kyoko, I'm going to head to the ladies' restroom before we board the bus," Kanae nudged her friend off of her arm.

"Oh, I'll come with you then!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"You need to use the restroom as well?"

"No, but I'll still follow you!"

"Actually, if you wouldn't mind then, could you do me a huge favor?"

"Anything!" Kyoko smiled.

"I don't have a drink for the bus ride yet, so could you visit the convenience store and buy me an iced coffee? I'm not sure how long the line is for the restroom, so we can meet each other on the bus."

"Sure!"

"Thank you so much. Just remember that our bus number is Bus 1225, and it boards on the Northern platform. Make sure you don't board the wrong bus."

"Okay! I'll see you on the bus, Moko-san!" Kyoko exclaimed before heading off to the convenience store. Kanae turned towards the ladies' restroom and watched over her shoulder until Kyoko disappeared from her sight. She sighed in relief and changed her course, heading to the Southern platform where Bus 210 was currently boarding.

…

"Ren! Wait!"

Ren turned to see his friend running to catch up to him, and he paused as Yashiro grabbed a baseball cap out of his bag. Yashiro threw the hat to him, and he caught it on reflex as Yashiro fished a few more articles of clothing out of his bag.

"Yashiro-san, I think my disguise is fine already."

"The president just told me that our company vacation was leaked to the press. There's fangirls everywhere looking for you. Even I'm too recognizable standing next to you right now. Go to the restroom now and switch around your disguise a bit just in case. I'll head to the bus first and meet you there. Remember to head to the Northern platform to board Bus 1225," Yashiro told him. Ren nodded and headed over to the men's restroom as Yashiro made his way to the Northern platform. Once he saw that Ren had entered the restroom, Yashiro immediately changed course and made his way to the Southern platform. As he boarded Bus 210, he saw Kanae in the front row by herself. He put his bag in the overhead compartment before sitting down next to her.

"You told her Bus 1225?" Yashiro immediately asked.

"I did. She should be on her way there soon," Kanae replied.

"Good. I told Ren too."

"What is this I'm hearing about my two stars being told to go on the wrong bus?"

Kanae and Yashiro turned towards the seat next to theirs and dropped their jaws in shock as they realized that Lory was sitting right across from them. They hadn't noticed him since he was wearing a simple Hawaiian shirt and khakis, very subdued compared to what he usually wore.

"Where did you send them?" Lory asked seriously as he narrowed his eyes with a predatory glint, causing Yashiro to gulp in fear, but Kanae would not cower to him.

"My cousin runs a tour company," Kanae crossed her arms with a small smirk.

…

Kyoko ran through the bus terminal towards the Northern terminal with Kanae's iced coffee in hand. She hadn't expected the checkout line to be so long, and now she was almost late. She couldn't let the bus leave without her!

Kyoko looked around and spotted Bus 1225, handing her ticket to the driver as an assistant took her suitcase from her to store under the bus. She quickly ran up the steps of the bus looking around for Kanae, but she didn't see her friend.

"Uh, Miss, could you find your seat? We're about to depart," The driver called out from behind her.

"Oh! O-of course! Sorry!" Kyoko apologized. She quickly scanned the bus, seeing no empty seats except for one in the front next to some guy in a baseball cap with headphones in who was currently either sleeping or looking out the window. She took the seat next to him, hoping that he hadn't been waiting for anyone in particular. She would just have to look for Kanae later once they stopped somewhere.

Kyoko watched the scenery through the window as the bus began to move, and she glanced over at the man beside her. He was holding something in his hand, and the sun was reflecting off of it. It seemed very familiar...

"Miss, could you wake him up to hear the introductions?" The woman in the seat across from Kyoko asked. From her slightly dressed-up attire and nametag, Kyoko guessed that she was the tour guide. She seemed to not be much older than Kyoko herself. Kyoko nodded, tapping the man on the shoulder and turning back to the girl as she stood up with a microphone in hand.

"Hello everybody! Welcome to Bus 1225! This is our bus driver, Akito Hamada. My name is Mari Kotonami, and I'll be your tour guide on this trip through Japan! Please take care of me!" Mari bowed. The people on the bus clapped, and Kyoko clapped along with them.

"It's really amazing to see so many newlyweds all in one bus! We think this honeymoon itinerary is truly dreamy, and we hope you all enjoy what we have in store for you! I know it's still early in the morning, so I'll begin talking to you all again once we get closer to our first destination," Mari finished before taking her seat. Kyoko's eyes bugged out of their sockets. What was she talking about?! Honeymoon itinerary?!

Kyoko poked her head into the aisle of the bus and looked behind her to see that every pair of seats was filled with couples. Had she gotten on the wrong bus?! Kyoko looked at the front dashboard to see that she was indeed in Bus 1225, the bus that Kanae had told her to board.

Kyoko gasped as she realized that she had taken a seat next to a random man. If this was a bus full of newlyweds, she must have accidentally taken the place of his wife! Kyoko turned towards the man to stutter her apologies but found herself stop cold as the man took off his sunglasses and she found herself staring into chocolate brown eyes.

"Mogami-san?"

Kyoko would have screamed if she hadn't been in a bus full of other people.

"W-Why are you on the wrong bus too, Tsuruga-san?!" Kyoko stammered. She pulled her ticket out of her pocket, confirming that it was indeed a ticket for Bus 1225.

"That's the same ticket that Yashiro-san gave me…" Ren said, pulling out his own ticket.

"Moko-san gave me this ticket, and she even tried to remind me not to get on the wrong bus. I don't know how this happened! I followed her directions exactly! How could I mess up?!"

"Mogami-san, calm down. I think I know what happened. Yashiro-san also reminded me about the exact bus to board. I found it a bit strange since I have never had trouble remembering plane gates or bus numbers. I think Kotonami-san and Yashiro-san must have tricked us."

"T-Tricked us? Why would they do that?"

"I'm not sure, but you must have realized that the tour guide has the same last name as Kotonami-san, right?"

Kyoko yelped as she felt a tap on her shoulder, and she turned to see Mari the tour guide smiling at her. Mari hadn't heard their conversation since they had been speaking in hushed whispers. "I'm sorry for interrupting, but I just wanted to introduce myself to you personally, Kyoko-chan. When Kanae-san asked me about a last minute couple to add to our tour group, I accepted immediately when she told me you were one of her good friends. It's rare for Kanae-san to have friends, and I'm surprised she has a friend who was just recently married. Congratulations to you and your husband!" Mari smiled. Kyoko paled and turned to Ren who looked thoughtful for a second before smiling angelically.

"Thank you, Kotonami-san. We're excited to see what this trip has in store for us," Ren smiled, and Kyoko found her mouth gaping at the sheer bliss in that smile. She had expected anger behind a gentleman smile, not the kind of smile that could melt her grudges! When Mari retreated back to her seat, Kyoko frowned at Ren.

"What are you thinking? There's no way that we would ever be married!" Kyoko whispered harshly, causing a flash of pain through Ren's eyes which Kyoko didn't catch.

"Kyoko-san-"

Kyoko blanched at his use of her given name. "W-Why are you calling me that?!"

"If we were a married couple, then we would never use each other's family names to address each other-"

"We're not newlyweds!" Kyoko retorted.

"According to Kotonami-san, we are."

"I'm calling Moko-san right now to tell her to fix this!" Kyoko argued. She quickly dialed Kanae's number and pressed the phone to her ear, standing up to head to the cramped bathroom at the back of the bus. After two rings, Kanae picked up.

"Moko-sannn, why did you do this to me?!" Kyoko wailed into the receiver.

"I'm honestly surprised you knew it was me so quickly with how you usually misinterpret things."

"Moko-sann!"

"You've been avoiding Tsuruga-san for months, and whenever I asked you the reason, you would always give me that stupid smile!" Kanae barked back.

"But Moko-san-"

"It's for your own good. Whatever there is between you two, sort it out during your vacation together this next week," Kanae replied.

"It's more complicated than you think," Kyoko murmured.

"Mo, I bet you're blowing it way out of proportion. If you try to run away, Yashiro-san has a tracker on Tsuruga-san's phone. If my cousin calls me and tells me that you ran away from your husband, I'll tell Yashiro-san to release Tsuruga-san's location to the media."

"What?! Moko-san, you wouldn't do that! Tsuruga-san's reputation would be ruined if he was found on a couples' retreat left behind by his wife!"

"So if you want to protect his reputation, then resolve your issues! If you want to, you can even see this as acting training for portraying a newlywed couple."

"B-But there's no way that Tsuruga-san would ever be in a relationship with me! It's so unrealistic! A-And I would have to call him by his given name! Moko-san, I think the gods will curse me if I do that!" Kyoko wailed.

"Figure it out. Mo, we're driving through a tunnel right now. The reception's cutting off. Talk to you later."

"No, wait! Moko-san!" Kyoko exclaimed, but Kanae hung up before Kyoko could stop her. Kyoko groaned at the phone in her hand. Dangling the prospect of a married life with Ren in front of her was torture. It was swinging something she desperately wanted in front of her, but she would never be able to reach it. As if she already didn't have to deal with the knowledge that he was Corn and had kissed her in Guam, now she had to treat him like her husband?! How could Kanae do this to her?!

* * *

**Rules 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 complete! Hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Now usually I would write review responses after a chapter, but I just want to say beforehand that I am not doing that for this fic, so please log in so that I can personally reply to your messages! Thank you for being such an amazing community, and I will see you in the next chapter!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm truly amazed at how much support the first chapter of this story received! None of my stories have ever blown up like this before! Thank you all for your kind messages, favorites, and follows!**

**I will have to do a bit of research for this fic since I'm not too familiar with touring romantic Japan destinations, so updates for this fic will take a bit longer than usual. All the destinations that Ren and Kyoko travel to will be real locations in Japan, so you can look up images of the destinations they visit to get a better idea of the settings if you wish! **

**As a side note, I wonder if anyone realized the significance behind the two bus numbers last chapter? ;)**

* * *

"Why didn't you two tell me about this earlier?! I would have helped you out!" Lory wailed after hearing Kanae and Yashiro's explanation on how they tricked Ren and Kyoko into boarding the wrong bus.

"No offense, but you have a bit of a habit of overdoing these kinds of things, President…" Yashiro tried to console him. As Lory whimpered like a little girl at not being included in their plans, Kanae's phone began to ring. Kanae knew who was calling her without looking at the number, and she hesitatingly pressed the phone to her ear.

"Moko-sannn, why did you do this to me?!" Kyoko wailed.

As Kanae began to argue with Kyoko on the phone about how this had been done for her own good, Yashiro felt a buzz in his own pocket and snapped his gloves on so that he could answer his phone. The screen flashed with a call from "Ren Tsuruga".

"Hello?" Yashiro answered.

"Yashiro-san, it's not very nice to trick others," The demon lord replied from the other end of the phone. Yashiro felt a shiver go down his spine at the venom in Ren's tone.

"This was the only way, Ren. You've been avoiding each other for months, and it was driving me crazy!" Yashiro defended himself.

"She needed time away from me, and I was giving it to her-"

"She's already had enough time! Ren, it's been months! You are going to sort out your relationship with Kyoko-chan this week! That's an order!"

"You're _ordering_ me?"

"Don't forget that I have a tracker in your phone, Ren. If Kotonami-san's cousin calls her and tells her that you left your wife, I'll make sure the public knows your exact location," Yashiro smirked.

"Yashiro-san, you wouldn't-" Ren began to say again, but Yashiro had already pressed the end call button. Ren was met with a beeping tone and put down his phone, sighing heavily. He looked down at the Corn stone in his right hand, holding it up to the light streaming in from the window. He watched as the stone's sad blue color turned into a vibrant amber.

How could everything have gone so wrong so fast? Ren knew that he had needed to tell Kyoko his secret identity, and although he had expected her to be mad at him, he didn't think that she would be so angry at him that she would throw his present back at him like this. It was almost like saying she wanted nothing more to do with him, and Ren couldn't do anything about it. This was her choice, and he had to respect it. Since she had actively avoided him after their confrontation, Ren had followed suit. He had always hoped that one day she would finally start talking to him again, but he knew that he had ruined their relationship the moment he started keeping these secrets from her.

After finishing her own call with Kanae, Kyoko slowly made her way back to her seat in the front. She stopped in her tracks as she saw Ren holding up the stone he had given her as Corn, but a sudden braking of the bus brought her back to attention as she grabbed on the seat next to her to avoid being thrown forward. She muttered a few words of apology to the lady whose seat she had held onto before maneuvering back to her own seat and sitting down, buckling the seatbelt for good measure.

Kyoko looked at the Corn stone in Ren's hand and couldn't understand why he still had it with him. She had been determined earlier to avoid speaking with him unless necessary, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Why do you have that with you? I thought you would have thrown it away by now," Kyoko wondered. Ren turned to her in surprise, just now noticing her return. He immediately lowered the stone from the light, gripping it in his hand.

"When you dropped the stone down the stairs of LME that one day, I knew how important the stone was to you. I'm just holding onto the stone until you want it back," Ren replied.

"I don't want it. You can just throw it away," Kyoko responded, but her mouth tasted bitter with the words.

"Kyoko-san-"

"Don't call me that!" Kyoko interrupted him with a frown.

"Why are you reacting this way to me just calling you by your name? Everyone else calls you by your given name, and I even called you by it when we were children. What's wrong with using it now?" Ren wondered.

"It's just different when Tsuruga-san says it compared to Corn…"

"We're the same person!"

"I don't want to talk about this right now," Kyoko scoffed.

"When will you be ready to talk about it, then?! There's a reason Kotonami-san and Yashiro-san resorted to tricking us onto a bus together! They've probably noticed that we haven't spoken for the past few months. I've been trying to give you some distance since I know how big of a surprise my identity was to you, but all I want is to have a chance to explain everything to you. Please listen to me and let me say the rest of the words I was going to say to you that day before you left my apartment-" Ren begged, but he was interrupted by Mari the tour guide standing up with a microphone in hand.

"As we come closer to our destination, I want to draw your attention to a few interesting buildings on your right side."

Kyoko silently thanked the gods for their impeccable timing as she turned completely away from Ren and focused on Mari's explanations about the old Japanese buildings around the bus. She would not let Ren have that conversation with her because she knew that there was a chance he would tell her that Guam was all a lie and break her heart beyond repair. She had tried to force the box in her chest closed again these past few months, but to no avail. Ren had unlocked her box, blown the locks off, and melted the locks away completely. Love had burst forth from Kyoko Mogami's heart, and there was no way for her to reverse it.

Kyoko didn't want to go down this path of thought again with Ren right next to her. She tried to shut out the thoughts from her brain and forget who she was sitting next to in order to listen to Mari's explanations about the ancient buildings that the bus was passing. If Kanae was forcing her on a vacation with Ren, then she could at least milk the tour out for all it was worth. It helped that Kyoko had never really traveled around Japan before, so she was very intrigued by Mari's discussion about Japanese history and the sights around them.

"Now, I'll let you all take a break from hearing me speak. This is a time for you to spend with your significant other, so I won't bother you all again until we reach our first romantic destination," Mari smiled and sat down. Kyoko's eyes widened in fear. If Mari was done talking, then that would mean she would be forced to listen to-

"Kyoko-san," Ren said, tapping her shoulder, but she leaned away from him to tap Mari on the shoulder.

"Kotonami-san, I'm really fascinated by the old Japanese architecture style that you were explaining. How did you learn all about it?" Kyoko asked with a pleasant smile, ignoring Ren completely. She heard Ren's NG sigh from behind her, but she didn't care as long as she could avoid having that conversation with him. Mari smiled back at Kyoko and launched into a conversation about Japanese architecture with her which Kyoko elongated as much as possible to avoid speaking to Ren. After telling Kyoko about the origin of tatami mats, Mari looked over Kyoko's shoulder to see Ren frowning.

"Hey, Kyoko-san, I think I should let you speak to your husband for a while. He seems like he's been waiting patiently to speak with you," Mari patted her on the shoulder, nodding her head towards Ren. Kyoko didn't turn, knowing that when she did, she would be forced to speak with Ren.

"But Kotonami-san, I've spoken to him plenty already. I really enjoy speaking to you."

"Please call me Mari, Kyoko-san," Mari smiled. Kyoko found herself smiling back, pleased that she had been able to keep the conversation afloat. Maybe this vacation wouldn't be so bad after all. As long as she kept talking to Mari, she could ignore the man behind her!

"Mari-san, could you tell me about our next destination?"

"Did you not read the itinerary when you booked the trip?"

"No?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"Well then, I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise. You'll see when we get there," Mari winked before putting on headphones, effectively ending her conversation with Kyoko.

Kyoko knew she was trapped now, and she slowly turned towards Ren and was immediately hit with one of his gentlemen smiles. She cringed in fear of the anger that she knew hid behind that smile.

"It's not very polite to try to ignore me when I so kindly asked for you to listen to my explanation," Ren smiled brightly.

"And _I_ told you that I'm not interested in hearing it," Kyoko sassed back.

"I'm _going_ to have this conversation with you sometime on this trip. Yashiro-san was right. I've been trying to respect your wishes for the past few months and give you some time to cool down, but I'm not infinitely patient. We've had a misunderstanding, and all I want to do is fix it so that we can go back to being on speaking terms again," Ren said seriously. Kyoko slumped in her seat, knowing that he was right. It was inevitable to have this conversation at some point. If she could just get it over with, maybe she could finally move on from him, and he would stop bothering her and let her enjoy her vacation in peace. Kyoko hauled extra walls around her heart for protection from the blow that Ren's words would cause, although she knew that they wouldn't actually protect her at all.

"Fine. We'll have this conversation anyways, right? Might as well get it over with," Kyoko sighed defeatedly. Ren's gentleman smile immediately dissipated, and his face went back to its usual countenance. However, they were interrupted once again by Mari standing up. Kyoko realized she must have taken up more time than she initially thought by speaking with Mari about Japanese architecture. She sighed in relief, glad that she had a bit more time to prepare herself for this conversation.

"As our driver pulls into our first destination, I hope you are all prepared for a bit of walking. We have arrived at Tokyo Daijingu! Some brief information before we get down: this Shinto shrine is the Tokyo branch of the famous Ise Jingu and was the first shrine to hold a public Shinto style wedding. It was built in 1880 and originally located in Hibiya until it relocated to Iidabashi in 1924 after the great Kanto Earthquake. It is a famous spot for single women and couples to come visit. After praying to the deities for success in your marriage, you may buy an omamori good luck charm or try omikuji fortune telling. We will be spending 30 minutes here, so return to the bus once you're done exploring the shrine, and we'll be on our way to lunch!" Mari exclaimed. Kyoko stood up to follow the tour guide off of the bus, and she could feel Ren at her back as she disembarked, but his disguise was still on so that he was unrecognizable. According to Kanae, it wasn't as if she could abandon him, but she would rather talk with Mari than let Ren have an opportunity to launch into that unwanted conversation again.

"Hey, Mari-san!" Kyoko smiled, running up to catch up with her.

"Oh, hi Kyoko-chan! I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time talking earlier. I have a tendency to ramble. You should spend some time with your husband! What about you two go try praying to the deities?" Mari encouraged her, pointing to the purification station of the shrine. A hand clapped onto Kyoko's shoulder, and she jumped.

"She's right. Let's go pray to the deities," Ren smiled brightly, annoyed from being ignored by Kyoko at every possible moment. Mari looked between the two, smiling encouragingly at Kyoko. Kyoko gave a small smile back and turned to Ren.

"Of course," Kyoko said through clenched teeth, letting Ren lead her to the purification station. The purification station was positioned under a small roof, and a dragon statue had a continuous water flow coming out of its mouth into the channel below. Six ladles were available for the use of the shrine's patrons, and Kyoko immediately set to work purifying her hands and mouth with the cup of water at the station. When she had finished, she turned to Ren who stood behind her, unmoving.

"Are you not going to purify yourself before entering the shrine?" Kyoko asked, trying to act like a wife to her "husband".

"I've never been to a Japanese shrine before, so I'm not quite sure how to," Ren replied sheepishly, covering his mouth to hide a slight blush. Kyoko was stunned. How had he never been to a Japanese shrine before? Was he a foreigner or something?

"Here, I'll teach you. Fill the ladle with water with your right hand and rinse your left hand," Kyoko demonstrated. "Then do the opposite."

Ren repeated her motions, then she poured the water into her left hand and pressed the water to her mouth. Finally, she rinsed her left hand and finished the purification, making sure that Ren had done the same. They placed the ladles back where they had found them, and Ren held out his hand for her.

Kyoko froze, unsure of what to do. Sure, they had held hands as the Heel siblings before, but never as themselves! The gesture just seemed too intimate! Before she could make a decision of whether to take his hand or not, Ren grabbed her hand in his own and dragged her up the steps towards the shrine so that they could pray in front of the deities. They walked under the purple curtains in front of the deity statues and stopped to face the statues. Kyoko clasped her hands together and gazed at the statues of the three resident deities, as did many of the single women around her.

This was a love shrine, so she should wish for something related to love, but how could she do that when she knew even her prayers to the gods would go unanswered? Ren already loved someone else. Although Kyoko knew that it was useless, she nevertheless made her wish and bowed. Once she was done, she turned to Ren and noticed that he was still making his wish. Kyoko wondered if he was thinking about the girl he loved. After a few more seconds, Ren bowed and turned to her.

"Now that we've prayed to the gods, do you want to go buy omamori together?" Ren asked with a genuine smile. Kyoko didn't get to reply before Ren grabbed her hand again, pulling her towards a stand selling omamori. She felt a tingle of warmth where he held her hand, but she scolded her heart for still having such a reaction to this man who clearly loved someone else. Kyoko let Ren look over the various omamori, but none seemed to catch his interest.

"You don't like any of the omamori?" Kyoko wondered.

"Not really. But I guess I don't really need another omamori when I have my omamori right next to me," Ren smiled at her, making her blush bright red before she remembered that it was probably his husband character saying these words to her, not Ren himself. Two could play at this game. Kyoko tried to think of all the couples she had seen in the past to perfect her "wife" character.

"Then I want to go over there and have our fortunes told," Kyoko smiled, grabbing Ren's hand on her own and leading him through the crowd to the boxes of fortunes. She reached into her bag and opened up her wallet to drop some coins in the boxes but found that Ren had already beaten her to it, paying for both of them. She grumbled softly about him not needing to do that for her as he grabbed a fortune out of the box for love fortunes and motioned for her to do the same. She watched as he unfolded the paper and read over its contents.

"I got greatest blessing," Ren smiled sheepishly, holding out the slip of paper for her to read. Kyoko felt her heart break, realizing that she was right in that even the gods backed Ren's affection for that high school girl. She sighed, taking a slip of paper out of the box as well since he had already paid for it. Her eyes widened as she opened the paper. It read greatest blessing. What were the gods doing to her? First, they wished Ren luck with wooing his high school girl, and now they wished _her_ luck for snagging him? These gods were pretty hypocritical.

"You also got greatest blessing? That's great," Ren looked over her shoulder at her paper and smiled heavenly at her. Kyoko's heart began to beat quickly, and she cursed her heart for still having feelings for this man no matter how hard she tried to push the feelings back into that box. Her heart couldn't take much more of this false affection.

"I-I'm going to find a restroom. I'll meet you back on the bus," Kyoko told him before swiftly walking away to find a bathroom. She followed the signs around the shrine until she eventually came across the restroom. Kyoko approached the sink and splashed water onto her face, slapping herself for still having these worthless feelings.

"Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko immediately straightened up to see Mari staring at her wide-eyed. "Ah, Mari-san!"

"Why were you doing that to yourself?" Mari wondered.

"Ah, I just thought there was a fly on my cheek," Kyoko lied.

"Oh. Where's your husband?" Mari asked.

"I told him to meet me back at the bus," Kyoko replied.

"Then would you like to walk back together?" Mari smiled. Kyoko was relieved that Mari had believed her lie and nodded her head, falling in step next to the tour guide.

"Did you and your husband enjoy the shrine?"

"We did," Kyoko responded with a smile, letting her "married" persona take over.

"That's good. This shrine really is special. When I was still single, I prayed to the gods here. I met my husband a few days later when he was part of my next tour group," Mari smiled fondly, although Kyoko could sense a hint of sadness in her voice. She was about to ask Mari more, but they had already arrived in front of the bus. Mari let Kyoko climb on first, and Kyoko reluctantly took her seat next to Ren. She looked over at him and gasped as she saw his emerald eyes.

"Y-Your eyes!" Kyoko couldn't help but exclaim.

"I took out my contacts before I came back so that I would be a bit more unrecognizable," Ren replied. Kyoko couldn't help but stare at his face, those emerald eyes making him even more devastatingly handsome than he was before. Kyoko didn't even notice when the bus started moving again since she was so distracted by the true color of Ren's eyes.

"I hope you all enjoyed Tokyo Daijingu! We're going to have about a half hour drive before we reach Shibuya where we will grab lunch. Afterwards, we will be having a long drive to Mt. Fuji, so make sure to pick up whatever you need to get yourselves through the long drive over at Shibuya district," Mari announced over the microphone. Kyoko's eyes sparkled with excitement. She had never been to Mt. Fuji before, but she had heard many stories of how beautiful Mt. Fuji and its surrounding five lakes were. The scenery there was absolutely breathtaking, and Kyoko wondered if she could go fairy-hunting while there. However, that thought about fairy-hunting quickly reminded Kyoko of the "fairy" next to her.

Kyoko knew that Ren was watching her, and she knew that if she didn't find a way to occupy herself right now, she would be forced to have that dreadful conversation with him. Kyoko hurriedly opened her handbag and took an MP3 player out, plugging in a pair of headphones. She put the headphones in her ears and closed her eyes, trying to fake taking a nap. For the next 30 minutes, Kyoko listened to some relaxing music, and Ren didn't even bother her once.

* * *

**Originally, I had been waiting for the newest chapter of Skip Beat! to come out before posting this chapter in case I wanted to mention anything about their conversation in the car, but after reading some of the spoilers and realizing that it'll still be another couple of months before this whole conversation between them is resolved, I decided that I will be ignoring whatever happens in the chapters for the next couple months. I might mention Kana (the girl who kissed Ren) or the picture of Sho kissing Kyoko at some point, but I have a feeling that Ren calling Kyoko out for still having feelings for Sho is going to cause some serious progress in their relationship in canon that would upset the timeline of this story. **

**TLDR: I will be ignoring any plot points that occur beyond Chapter 266. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

Kyoko was trying to perfect her wife character as she closed her eyes to try to avoid Ren. It had been way too easy for Ren to work past her defenses and make her break character earlier. She would have to be prepared for the next time she met him. The only way to do that would be to build a character that he couldn't break, but Kyoko wasn't sure how to create a wife character. Kyoko's only references of a wife were the Okami and Sho's mom, but neither of them had been newlywed. If only she didn't choose to close her eyes and pretend to sleep! She could have used the whole bus of newlyweds as reference! She wished she could ask Ren for some acting advice since he would know what to do.

Ren looked over one of his scripts and glanced over at Kyoko whose eyes remained closed. He knew she was definitely not taking a nap, but was instead just trying to avoid him again. He just had to bide his time. He would definitely have time to explain everything to her during the few hours it would take to drive to Mt. Fuji, so he could wait. Ren glanced back down at his script to memorize his lines before coming across a particularly nostalgic line.

_I'm sorry, Airi. It's just been a bit tentekomai at work lately._

Ren's lips tilted upwards in amusement as he read over that line, remembering his feathered friend. The chicken had told him to seduce Kyoko, but he had never followed the chicken's suggestion, instead choosing to watch her from a distance, lest he scare her away. Maybe things would have turned out differently if he had followed the chicken's advice...

It wasn't too late though. Sure Kyoko was trying to avoid him, but Ren had to admit that he was in a pretty favorable position right now. He was supposed to be acting as her husband, so that gave him an excuse to act lovingly towards her. He could use this opportunity to seduce her as the chicken had told him. When he had told her she was his omamori, she had blushed, and maybe he would actually have a chance with her once he sorted out this whole Corn misunderstanding.

Ren looked out of the window as they drove through Tokyo, and he realized that they were starting to pull to a stop. Mari stood up and grabbed her microphone, and Ren tapped Kyoko on the shoulder to alert her that the tour guide was speaking. Kyoko was so busy berating herself internally that she jumped slightly when Ren tapped her.

"We have arrived in Shibuya district, and we will be visiting the Kamiyama restaurant to eat soba noodles for lunch. All of us will eat lunch together initially, but you can wander around Shibuya district afterwards since we will be meeting back at the restaurant at 2 PM. Without further ado, follow me so that we can grab some food!" Mari exclaimed with a smile, leading the way off the bus. Kyoko fell in step behind her, steering as far away from Ren as possible. At this point, Ren was used to it and stayed back to give her some distance.

"Mari-san!" Kyoko greeted the tour guide.

"Oh, hey Kyoko-chan," Mari replied, albeit a bit awkwardly.

"I wanted to speak to you more about Japanese tatami!"

"Kyoko-chan, I'm sorry, but did you two have a fight or something?" Mari asked suddenly.

"Eh?"

"I know it's none of my business, but you seem to have tried to avoid your husband ever since you got on the bus," Mari said, concern evident in her eyes.

"Why would you think I was avoiding him?" Kyoko plastered a blank smile on her face. Like Kanae, her cousin, Mari didn't believe in that smile for one second.

"Every time he tries to speak with you, you seem to gravitate towards me to engage me in a conversation. My aunts act similarly when they fight with their husbands. And don't you try to act your way out of this. I've already had enough of that from Kanae over the years."

Kyoko looked down, knowing that she had been caught. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize to me. I'm sorry for asking. I shouldn't try to pry into your relationship," Mari responded.

"No, you're right. I've been avoiding him this whole time," Kyoko sighed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Mari asked with an understanding smile. Kyoko couldn't tell Mari the complete truth without revealing Ren's identity, but maybe she could relieve this lump in her heart at least partially by venting to Mari. She would have told Kanae, but Kanae was just too close to the situation. Mari was only a stranger, so she was comfortably distant enough that Kyoko could speak with her about the matter.

"He lied to me. He let me believe in his lies and made me feel like a complete idiot. We met when we were children. I thought he was a fairy prince when I first met him since I was only six at the time, but my memories with him as a child were some of the best memories of my life. Our time together only lasted a week back then, but we met again ten years later. I had no idea that it was him again, but he knew my identity the whole time and didn't tell me until just recently."

"Wow. That's a big secret to keep from you. I understand why you're trying to avoid him now, but do you know why he kept it from you?"

"He wanted to play with my feelings and exploit me?"

"What? I don't know him that well, but he seems like he isn't the type of guy to do that. Did he tell you that was the reason?"

"He didn't say it explicitly, but what other explanation could there have been…?"

"Maybe he was scared."

Kyoko's eyes widened in surprise at Mari's guess. How could Ren be scared of telling her his identity?! He was like a god to her! She couldn't accept the prospect of him feeling scared of telling her this! "No, that can't be it," Kyoko shook her head vigorously.

"Kyoko-chan, couples fight all the time, but it's up to you to make sure the fight isn't based on some sort of misunderstanding. I think in this instance, you two aren't communicating. You seem to be avoiding him as he's desperately trying to explain himself to you, and by doing this, you're only prolonging the misunderstanding. I think you need to sit down with him and have a long conversation about why he chose to keep his secret from you. I assure you, it's probably not for the reason you were thinking," Mari smiled encouragingly, patting her on the shoulder.

"But what if it is?"

"You'll never know unless you ask him," Mari replied. Kyoko looked back at Ren and saw him looking down at the ground as he walked, alone and not speaking with any of the couples around him. His baseball cap was covering his face, and he walked with a different gait as to not draw too much attention to himself and reveal his true identity. Ren looked up and locked eyes with her. Now that they were outside, Kyoko watched as his beautiful emerald eyes glistened in the sun, momentarily changing color into a brilliant burnt siena, just like they had that day when they had met again in Guam. Kyoko's mind started to replay the events of that day in her head, and she shook her head furiously. No. She didn't want to think about this again. Kyoko was too busy trying to burn the memories of Guam in her mind that she didn't notice that Ren had sped up his pace to come to her side.

"Gahhh!" Kyoko exclaimed as she finally noticed Ren's presence.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Ren apologized with a shy smile.

Kyoko was panicking. She wasn't prepared to face him yet when she still had not perfected her wife character. She still needed some kind of defense from his charm! Kyoko started to pale just thinking about how easy it would be for Ren to get past her walls if she wasn't prepared.

"Are you feeling all right? You're turning pale," Ren said worriedly, pressing his hand to her forehead. Kyoko's color immediately returned, but this time she turned red as she pushed Ren's hand away.

"I'm fine," Kyoko said curtly, stepping to the side one step to put a distance between them.

The tour group arrived at the soba restaurant and were led to a special dining area with large, round tables reserved for large groups. Kyoko and Ren were the first to enter the room after Mari, so they took their seats at the large table as the rest of the honeymoon couples piled in. Kyoko looked at Ren's outfit and hoped that his disguise was enough to fool the others. He hadn't been recognized at the shrine earlier, but people would be interacting with him directly this time. He certainly dressed and looked different though, and his eyes were green instead of Ren's usual chocolate brown contacts. He would hopefully be fine. Since they were all seated at a large table together, Kyoko let herself look around for the first time at the other couples who had joined the trip.

They certainly looked like honeymooners with their closeness. Kyoko looked across the table at a tall lady a little bit older than her clutching her husband's arm and leaning on his shoulder. Next to them, a stout lady with a black bob shared a chaste kiss with her equally stout husband. The girl who took the seat next to Kyoko's looked to be in her early twenties, and she had beautiful long and wavy black hair that framed a delicate countenance. The girl smiled at Kyoko who smiled back.

"Hi, I don't think we've met yet. My name's Yumi Fujimoto, and this is my husband, Kazumi Fujimoto," The girl introduced herself and her husband.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Kyoko Mogami, and this is my husband…" Kyoko trailed off, suddenly remembering she was supposed to be acting like Ren's wife, not Kyoko Mogami. She had already given her name away, but she needed something to call Ren. She couldn't use his actual name since they might see the similarities between him and Ren Tsuruga, but what name could she use? Kyoko tried hurriedly to think of a fake name that she could call him by, but her mind was blanking. The only name she could think of was Corn, but they wouldn't believe that he was named after a vegetable. Then she remembered how she had mistaken the name of Kuu's son for Corn that one time. The names sounded similar enough.

"This is my husband, Kuon," Kyoko answered, not catching the shocked expression on Ren's face at her choice in name. His heart felt like it was going to burst out of its chest with how fast it was going. There was no way. Was this why she had avoided him? Had she figured out his true identity?

Kyoko beamed at her choice in name. Now she could call him like a wife would without honorifics! She knew she would be cursed if she said "Ren", but "Kuon" was just fine! It wasn't as if it was his real name or anything, so Kyoko could confidently refer to him by a first name now. She turned to look at him with a smile but paused as she saw his brow scrunched in thought.

"Kuon, are you okay?" Kyoko wondered. Ren forced himself to smile at her through his shock. He reached out his hand and grasped hers in his own, rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. "Of course."

Kyoko turned back to Yumi and Kazumi, trying to ignore the flutter of her heart at having Ren rub circles on the back of her hand. "So what do you two do for a living?"

"I'm an interior decorator while my husband is a physician. How about you two?" Yumi smiled.

"Both my wife and I are actors," Ren answered this time. Kyoko was surprised that he was telling the truth, but she worried that they would discover his real identity in this way.

"Oh, that's cool! We don't watch TV often, so we probably wouldn't have seen you on TV before," Yumi responded. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief. They were safe. Or so they thought.

"Hey, Natsuko, you watch lots of TV shows, right? Have you seen Kyoko Mogami on TV before?" Yuki turned to ask the lady next to her who wore a chunky pair of glasses and had an equally nerdy husband. Natsuko looked over at Kyoko and paled.

"No. way. Are you the same Kyoko who played Momiji in_ A Lotus in the Mire_?" Natsuko asked. Kyoko nodded, worried that she had just compromised her own identity which would compromise Ren's too.

"I can't believe I'm meeting you! That's my favorite show! Momiji is such a badass character! I shipped Momiji and Ryu from start to finish, but it was a shame he looks like he's going to end up with Chidori. I thought you and Koga Hiromune had way better chemistry than him and that girl who played Chidori. I remember reading some articles that said you two were secretly dating since you were spotted at various locations together," Natsuko said. Ren widened his eyes in surprise. He had not heard anything of Kyoko's relationship with Koga before, but then again, she had started the role of Momiji almost exactly when he had revealed his identity and started to keep his distance. Ren started to feel a stab of pain in his heart. How close were Kyoko and Koga? Was it possible that she had actually started to date him in the time she had avoided Ren?

"Ah, you know the media. They exaggerate. I'm good friends with Koga-san, but we aren't dating," Kyoko explained.

"Is that so? You're right. I really shouldn't believe everything I read online. But this is so amazing. I can't believe I'm meeting you. Could I have your autograph, Kyoko-san?" Natsuko asked eagerly. Kyoko nodded with a smile as Natsuko pulled out her notebook, passing it down the table for Kyoko to sign. Kyoko had never given out an autograph before, but she just signed her name on a page in the notebook and handed it back to Natsuko.

"Kuon-san, what shows have you been in? Maybe someone else here has seen your work?" Yumi asked.

"My wife and I have worked together a bit, but I'm not as famous as her. I mostly play side character roles or act as an extra, so you probably wouldn't have noticed me in any shows. She's definitely more talented than I am," Ren smiled, causing Kyoko to blush at the praise.

"No, you've been in the industry way longer than I have. You're more talented! You're a god to an actress like me," Kyoko argued.

"Although I have more experience, you outshine me in pure talent," Ren replied.

"How is that possible?! You're my senpai in the acting world! If you didn't help me, I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today! I'm eternally grateful for all of your help!" Kyoko exclaimed, causing Ren to blush slightly at her praise. The couples around the table all broke out into laughter, causing Ren and Kyoko to remember that they had an audience.

"I guess this is what they call a bickering husband and wife," Kazumi chuckled. A waitress came around to set down drinks in between each couple with two straws each, and Mari stood up to address the couples.

"This store is famous for their Umeshu plum wine soda, so I hope you enjoy the drink together with your significant other," Mari smiled before sitting down. Kyoko looked at the amber liquid in the glass cup with two black straws and suddenly remembered the coconut juice she had shared in Guam with Corn. It had tasted absolutely terrible, but her lips quirked up as she remembered laughing with Corn as their lips both puckered at the horrible taste. That had been right after she had "kissed" him to remove his curse.

Kyoko's smile fell. She didn't want to remember his lies, but her brow furrowed as she remembered the specifics of his curse. He had been cursed to never smile again because he made everyone around him unhappy. Kyoko had always known Ren struggled with some sort of darkness that had become apparent when he acted out Cain Heel, but she had not given herself the opportunity to connect Ren's darkness with Corn's darkness. It was still a bit hard for her to bridge the gap between the two, but she was coming to accept the fact that they were one and the same person.

The Beagle had said before that Corn's stone contained such an overwhelming amount of sorrow that its owner was probably either insane or had already left the world. Now that she knew that Ren was Corn, it made sense that she felt so at ease when he reassured her that Corn was alive and well. Kyoko was now beginning to wonder just what had happened to Ren to give him such sorrow as a child and such underlying darkness as an adult. He had said that in Guam that he ruined people's lives after they got to know him. He was unable to smile because he couldn't forgive himself for existing and making people unhappy. Just what had happened to him? Would he have told her if she had stayed that day in his apartment instead of running away? Kyoko couldn't help but feel guilty since Corn had always been there for her to listen to her troubles, but she had run away when he had finally tried to explain himself to her.

"I'll ask them to get you a glass of water instead of this drink since you're still underage," Ren said to her, startling her out of her thoughts. She blinked, remembering where she was, and looked down at the alcoholic drink with two straws.

"Oh, okay," Kyoko replied as Ren flagged down the waiter. She looked at his left hand and saw his watch resting there, the hands still unmoving. When had he switched his watch from his right to his left hand? Throughout Cain Heel, it had been on his right arm, but was it after Guam that the watch switched hands? She hadn't seemed to notice until today.

"Are you okay?" Ren wondered, seeing that Kyoko was staring blankly at his arm. She suddenly snapped back to attention and nodded as the waiters came out with the soba noodles for each person. Why was she thinking about all of this now and letting herself feel guilty for leaving him that day? He was the one in the wrong, not her, but why couldn't she shake the feeling in her gut that she should have given him a chance to explain himself that day?

…

The various couples finished their soba noodles and started to rise from the table to head out and explore Shibuya. When Yumi has offered to explore Shibuya together, Kyoko had eagerly leapt at the opportunity. Yumi had called it a double date, but she could call it whatever she wanted for all Kyoko cared as long as she didn't have to stay alone with Ren.

"Aren't you just so excited for this vacation? I can't wait until we go to Mt. Fuji! I heard it's beautiful and has some of the best onsens in Japan," Yumi exclaimed. Kyoko began to get giddy as well, excited for the rest of the week where she would get to explore Japan.

"Really? I'm excited to try the onsen then!" Kyoko replied.

"I know, right? Kazumi and I wish we could stay together in the onsen for the whole day," Yumi sighed.

"Eh? What do you mean? I thought that the onsen were divided based on gender?"

"Each hotel room has their own private bath with water directly from the onsen. I think most of the couples here are probably going to utilize these instead of going to the public onsen. You should try it together!" Yumi exclaimed. Kyoko's face heated up in a deep red blush as she imagined sharing an onsen with Ren. People had to be completely naked to bathe in an onsen, and Kyoko's head was steaming from the memory of walking in on Cain in the shower.

"Thank you for the suggestion," Ren replied, seemingly normal except for the mental images that had just entered his head of bathing in a private onsen with Kyoko. He had never been to an onsen before, but from what he knew about Japanese onsen, he knew that they went through a cleaning process before stepping into the onsen and were supposed to be completely naked.

"We should try what they suggested," Ren whispered in Kyoko's ear, causing Kyoko to redden in a blush to the tips of her ears.

"I-I was just t-thinking of using the public onsen, actually," Kyoko stuttered. Ren nodded in understanding. It's not like he had expected any other answer.

The two couples suddenly came to a crowded intersection. As the light turned green, Kyoko watched in awe as a swarm of people crossed the street in an orderly manner. The two couples waited for the next green light before crossing, and Kyoko looked over to where a crowd was gathering around some kind of statue.

"What are they all doing over there?" Kyoko wondered.

"Have you never been here before, Kyoko-san? That's the Hachiko statue," Yumi responded. Kyoko tilted her head in confusion. "What's a Hachiko?"

"Hachiko was an Akita dog. His owner was a professor at the local university, and he would commute to work daily. When he returned to Shibuya station at night, Hachiko would leave the house to meet him and walk home with him. They continued this routine every day until Hachiko's owner suddenly died while giving a lecture at the university. Each day for the next nine years, nine months, and fifteen days, Hachiko waited at Shibuya station for his owner to return until Hachiko himself died. They erected a statue here to commemorate Hachiko's loyalty to his owner. The Hachiko statue is a popular meeting spot in Shibuya," Kazumi explained. Kyoko had tears in her eyes as Kazumi finished telling the story.

"That's so sad!" Kyoko sniffed. She felt a tap on her shoulder and saw Ren holding out a handkerchief. She took it from his hands and dabbed at her watery eyes.

"K-Kazumi, let's go take a picture!" Yumi said, trying to lighten the mood. She grabbed her husband's hand and dragged him towards the line in front of the Hachiko statue. Ren and Kyoko followed behind as Kyoko tried to clean up her tears.

"Could you take a picture of us, Kyoko-san?" Kazumi asked, holding out his camera. Kyoko nodded as they reached the front of the line and counted down before snapping a picture of Kazumi and Yumi with wide grins. Yumi came over to see how the picture had turned out before smiling.

"Thank you so much! Since you took our picture, I would be glad to take yours!" Yumi exclaimed.

"Oh, that's not necessary," Kyoko shook her head.

"Come on, Kyoko-chan! Don't you want to have pictures to remember your honeymoon by?" Yumi encouraged her.

"She's right. How about just one picture?" Ren smiled at her. Kyoko sighed in defeat and took her place next to the Hachiko statue as Ren gave his phone camera to Yumi and took his place next to Kyoko, wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Kyoko stiffened at the contact.

Ren smiled for the camera, and Kyoko was shocked to see it was his real smile, not one of those gentleman ones. Kyoko didn't even realize how she unconsciously smiled from seeing Ren smile so carefree. Yumi snapped the picture.

"Aw, that's cute you two!" Yumi exclaimed, handing Ren his phone. Ren smiled as he looked at the photo, but Kyoko was rooted to the spot as she realized how she had been so entranced by his smile that she had spaced out like that. Curse her love-addled heart!

"Kyoko-san?"

Kyoko snapped out of her reverie and blinked as Ren stood in front of her with a concerned look on his face. Yumi and Kazumi were nowhere to be seen.

"Ehh? Where are Yumi-san and Kazumi-san?" Kyoko wondered, looking around for them.

"Didn't you hear? They just told us that they were going to the convenience store to buy some snacks for the bus ride and that we would maybe see each other again on the bus."

"Oh."

Kyoko and Ren stood there silently in the crowded square, both waiting for the other to speak. Ren coughed and broke the silence.

"We still have some time left before we have to meet on the bus. Would you like to look around some more?" Ren asked.

Kyoko looked at him skeptically, prompting him to add, "I promise, I won't say anything about Corn or Guam right now. I would just like to at least enjoy this part of our vacation as friends?" Ren asked, looking at her with those puppy dog eyes that she knew she couldn't say no to. Kyoko sighed, and reluctantly agreed to touring more around Shibuya. Ren held out his hand for her, and she widened her eyes in surprise. Weren't they just going to act as friends? Why did he want to hold her hand?

Sensing her hesitation, Ren said, "It's a bit busy here. I just want to make sure I don't lose you in the crowd."

Kyoko mouthed a silent o as she took his hand, and she let him lead her out of the crowded crossing towards a street lined with various shops and boutiques. Kyoko looked through the windows of the many shops they walked past. They passed a small desserts shop, and Kyoko was amazed at the rows and rows of small pastries that she could see through the window. A few stores down, they passed a pet store, and Kyoko couldn't help but awe at the various puppies and kitties displayed in the window until she realized that the small cubicles that they had been put into were very cramped. They weren't just objects to put on display, they were living creatures!

Ren noticed her staring at the pet store with a frown and shook his head. "They put pets like this on display in America as well, but the cages in Japan are unbelievably small," Ren commented. Kyoko turned to him as her brain finally made a connection. She had thought that he was probably a foreigner earlier, but now he confirmed that he was in fact American. Perhaps that was why his English had been so flawless as Cain Heel?

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**Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, or reviewed last chapter! I'm sorry I didn't get back to many of the reviews, but I'm going to try to be a bit better at that this chapter!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ahhh, I'm sorry for not updating for long, but this was a really important chapter that I needed to make sure I got right to set up the rest of the story! I hope you enjoy!**

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After touring a little more around Shibuya, Kyoko and Ren returned to the soba restaurant where they met up with the rest of the tour group. After making sure that everyone had returned, Mari led the group back to the bus. Kyoko was nervous about returning to the bus since she would be forced to stay on the bus with Ren for hours, and she would have no escape from his words. However, Mari's suggestion of listening to Ren's explanation flashed into her head. Was she truly just making a big deal out of nothing? Was it all a misunderstanding?

As she climbed into the bus, Kyoko's body started to vibrate as she got a call on her phone. She took the phone out of her bag and pressed the answer call button, not checking who had called. Kyoko settled next to Ren in her bus seat, holding her phone up to her ear.

"Hello?" Kyoko answered.

_"Hey, it's Koga Hiromune."_

"Ehhh?! Hiromune-san?!" Kyoko widened her eyes, wondering how had he gotten her number. Ren's back stiffened as he heard the name, and he turned to look at Kyoko, wondering when she had given Koga her personal phone number.

_"Sorry for calling so unexpectedly, but I asked my manager for your phone number. There's a few changes to the script that the screenwriters made for the next few episodes, and they tried to contact your manager, but his phone was turned off. They wanted me to inform you of the changes directly since you aren't going to be here for the rest of the week."_

Kyoko pulled out her script from her bag and listened to Koga diligently, the ever hardworking actress. She mumbled mhmms and okays in response to his explanation of the changes to the script as she wrote down various notes.

"Is that all?" Kyoko asked once Koga seemed to be done explaining.

_"I think that covers it. Hey, what are you doing anyways that you took off a whole week from filming?" _

"My company sponsored a fully paid vacation around Japan for all of its employees this week. I'm on the tour bus right now."

_"Ah. Does that mean you're on a vacation with Tsuruga-san? You're in the same company, right? Did you manage to snag the seat next to him? Most girls would probably fight to sit by that man for the hours that you would get to spend on the bus together," _Koga teased.

"I am," Kyoko replied flatly, not falling for his teasing.

_"Oh, really? I actually didn't expect that. Weren't you avoiding him and his manager recently?"_

"I still am, but unfortunate circumstances arose," Kyoko grumbled. From what Ren could hear of her conversation, he knew she was probably referring to him in that tone. Ouch. That hurt.

_"Why are you avoiding him? Did he start to date another woman?"_

"What? N-no! At least, I don't think so..."

_"Then is it because he confessed his undying love to you?"_

"Of course not! Stop saying ridiculous things!" Kyoko blushed at the thought, not able to imagine Ren ever returning her feelings. As Ren watched her cheeks redden, his face darkened since he thought she was blushing from the man on the other side of the phone, oblivious to the fact that she was actually blushing because of him. Ren felt his jealousy flare up, but he tried to squash it, reminding himself that he had no right to feel possessive of her since he had lied to her and ruined her trust in him.

_"Come on, just tell me already! I'm bored since they keep refilming a scene with Chidori and some of the elders in the village, and I'm just sitting around waiting for my scenes. Give me the juicy details on why you've been avoiding him."_

"Why should I?" Kyoko responded.

_"I want to know!"_

Kyoko stuck her tongue out mockingly, forgetting that Koga couldn't see her. Ren took a deep breath as Kuon threatened to come to the surface at seeing Kyoko act so informally with Koga. How close was their relationship?!

"Since there's nothing more you need to tell me, I think this conversation is over. Goodbye, Koga-san," Kyoko said into the phone, pressing the end call button and cutting off whatever Koga was about to say. A few seconds later, she looked down at her phone to see that he had sent her a message.

"_It's not very nice to hang up on your costars."_

Kyoko only shook her head with an amused smile and closed her phone, looking over the notes she had written down on her script. She would have to go over her lines again with the changes. Kyoko softly began to read out her lines to ingrain them in her memory.

"After all this time that I served you, I just can't believe that you would almost throw away your life for that girl that you barely know!" Kyoko murmured softly.

"She would have been killed if I didn't step in."

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock at the male voice replying to her, and she turned to see Ren reading the script over her shoulder. "Although she's learned some swordsmanship after following us, her skills would not have sufficed to defend herself yet," Ren continued, perfectly in character as the wandering samurai, Shizuma.

"I've served you for almost my entire life, so I know you would have never sacrificed yourself like this for a girl like her just because she couldn't defend herself. There has to be another reason," Kyoko responded.

"Then why do _you_ think I saved her?"

"I think you love her," Kyoko's voice cracked, one of the sole moments of weakness that Momiji showed Shizuma throughout the whole show.

"Then you _do_ understand why I saved her with danger to my own life."

"Why? Why did you fall in love with her? She's horribly prone to getting herself in danger and only serves as a hindrance to your journey. Why would you fall in love with her? How could you fall in love with a girl you just met who can't even take care of herself as opposed to the girl who's devoted her life to you ever since she was born!" Kyoko cried in frustration.

"I've only ever thought of you as a sister. I had no idea you felt this way towards me," Ren responded softly. Kyoko felt her heart break along with Momiji's as the last scene of the episode ended with those lines, feeling as if Ren was saying the same things to her. She sniffed as tears threatened to wetten her eyes.

"I'm very impressed with how much your acting has improved. Momiji is a very different character than the roles you've played before, but you have a very good grasp on her character," Ren commented, breaking Kyoko out of her heartbroken emotions. She looked down and wiped at her eyes. That scene hit way too close to home for her.

"Thank you for helping me with my lines," Kyoko mumbled after gathering herself.

"You did the same for me when you acted as my temporary manager, so I'm glad I could help," Ren responded. Kyoko began to put the script back in her bag. She thought back on that job as Ren's temporary manager and remembered how he had been so sick but would come back to consciousness if she read lines to him. He was truly devoted to his work. Kyoko's mind drifted to that night in his apartment when she had cared for him, specifically to that time he had deliriously called her "Kyoko-chan". Now it made sense since she knew he was Corn, but did that mean he knew ever since then?!

Kyoko grumbled at the realization, not noticing that Ren was speaking to her again. When she turned to look at him, he was flashing that gentleman's smile at her, and Kyoko's grudges came out to bask in the anger radiating from his smile. Kyoko's face paled. "What did you say?" Kyoko asked carefully.

"I was asking you when you became so close to Koga Hiromune," Ren smiled, the sparkles palpable in the air.

"W-We really aren't that close! He just thinks that it's fun to tease me," Kyoko waved her arms, trying to dispel the misunderstanding.

"Oh? What does he tease you about?"

Kyoko's face drained of its color, causing Ren to lift an eyebrow in questioning. Kyoko struggled to come up with any words to say, because there was no way she would ever admit how Koga had accidentally found out about her crush on the man in front of her during her audition for Momiji and had been teasing her ever since.

"H-He teases me about my motivations for first getting into acting!" Kyoko blurted out, thinking back to her first interactions with Ren and how he had hated her motive of revenge. This was definitely not the right thing to say, because the atmosphere immediately became even more cold, and ten more grudge Kyokos popped up at the increase in Ren's anger, but there was also a new emotion which Kyoko couldn't quite place. Ren turned to look out the window, almost as if he couldn't bear to face her with the amount of anger dissipating off of him. This was the most angry Kyoko had ever seen him, and she instantly regretted her lie.

"Sounds almost like when we first met, don't you think? It's almost as if you ignored me these past few months and replaced me with Hiromune-san. I thought I was your senpai who you could speak to about anything, but perhaps Hiromune-san has become that person to you now."

"I wonder how much you've told him about your past with that guy. I would have never thought you would be okay with someone teasing you about it like Hiromune-san does since you were so heartbroken after that guy threw you away. You even swore your revenge on him. I don't see why you would let him tease you about such a serious subject unless you've really been waiting for Fuwa earnestly this entire time…" Ren trailed off, turning towards Kyoko. His gentleman smile was completely gone and had been replaced with a frown and a look of disapproval.

"You know, ever since I returned to Japan, I've been wanting to ask you about it, but I couldn't do so since you seemed intent on ignoring me. Now that I have the chance, I've been wondering, have you made up with Fuwa?"

Kyoko's jaw dropped. "Wh-What makes you think that?! Of course I would never do that!"

"Really?"

"Why are you doubting me? There's no way that I would ever forgive him, and you know the situation, so you should understand!"

"That's true, but it's because I'm aware of the situation that I'm asking how you could let someone like Hiromune-san start to tease you about your revenge on Fuwa and have that kind of blushing reaction to the mention of that guy."

Kyoko was at a loss for words, the words swimming through her mind to vehemently defend against her senpai's accusation, but none could formulate into a coherent sentence. How had they taken this turn in this conversation? All she had been trying to do was come up with a lie to hide that Koga had been teasing her about her crush for Ren, but now Ren himself was accusing her of still being in love with Shotaro!

"I know you're not the type to just kiss anyone carelessly in your private life, especially a man you don't like. Perhaps on the roadside, even?"

"What are you talking about?"

"April 11, 1:56 AM. The night we met when I came back to Japan for a brief period of time. Someone took a photo of you kissing Fuwa then. Both LME and Akatoki were approached for permission to publish the photo, and you're lucky the photographer was part of a morally upright magazine company who goes through the proper processes."

"I…b-back then, after se-seeing my mother on TV, I wasn't thinking straight-" Kyoko stuttered as she tried to formulate an rebuttal.

"I know. Right after you met with that man, you bumped into me that night. I understand. In the past, you gave everything you had for him, and when he came running to you with worry that night when you were immensely hurt, you were moved, no doubt. I don't think anyone would blame you even if you previously swore to take revenge against him. No one would be surprised if you fell in love with him again."

A pregnant silence fell between them, and Kyoko felt the frustration bubbling up inside her, trying to come up with the right words to refute Ren's statement. "You really don't understand anything," Kyoko clenched her fists, sinking in on herself.

"Before, I clung to Shotaro because I had no one else. No one wanted to be friends with me since I was just the pitiful girl who lived in Shotaro's house. He was the one person in my life who I thought cared about me, so of course I fell for him. My mother had abandoned me, and the one friend other than Shotaro that I ever had only stayed with me for a week and never gave me any method of talking to him again except for a small blue stone that he thought could take away my sorrows," Kyoko said, staring at her lap as she willed the tears in her eyes to stay put.

"Do you know how I felt when I learned just how unimportant I was to the one friend I had? I was only ever Shotaro's housekeeper and his wallet. I never had any type of romantic relationship with him. I was only his stepping stone to stardom. Just like everyone else in my life, Shotaro abandoned me. Why would I ever forgive him and fall in love with him again after what he did?!"

"Don't assume things when you too have done the exact same thing to me, Corn!" Kyoko snapped her head up to look Ren dead in the eye, her teeth clenched in anger.

"You lied to me just like he did and manipulated my emotions even though you knew exactly what Shotaro had done to me! How could I have ever opened myself up to you if you knew everything about me both as Tsuruga-san and Corn, and you still did exactly what everyone else has done to hurt me!" Kyoko exclaimed in frustration. Ren couldn't respond, her words hitting their mark and echoing the exact words that he had feared hearing from her. When she had started to ignore him, he had wished she would instead confront him and scream at him instead of acting like he didn't exist, but having these words actually directed towards him in anger tore at his heart. "I didn't mean to hurt-"

"Let me stop you there, _Corn_. Do you remember what happened in Guam?" Kyoko interrupted him. Ren looked down guiltily, now realizing exactly how the events of Guam must have seemed in Kyoko's perspective which would have caused her to avoid him.

"Remember that curse that you made up? Only true love's kiss could break it? You must have thought it was hilarious to see me still believing in fairytales. I even followed through and helped you to break the "curse", but apparently you thought you still hadn't hurt me enough, so you kissed me again. I knew you were a playboy, Tsuruga-san, but this is really going above and beyond, even for you. Was it fun? Did you like seeing me act like an idiot when you knew the truth this whole time?"

"That's not why I did it," Ren argued.

"Oh really? Then tell me, why did you keep up this act and use your position as Corn to kiss me?"

"Kyoko, I never meant to hurt you."

"Then why would you kiss m-"

"I made a mistake. I know this, but please believe me when I say I never wanted to hurt you."

"Why did you kiss-"

"Please, Kyoko. I didn't mean to-"

"Then tell me: why did you kiss me?" Kyoko demanded. Ren looked down, unable to respond with the truth. He was a coward, but he was going to lose her if he didn't say anything!

"You know what? If you don't want to tell me, then fine. Keep believing what you want about me and Shotaro. I don't care anymore. You clearly never cared as much for me as I did for you, Corn. Since you deliberately watched me fall all over that stupid story about that fairy curse and even used the story to manipulate me into kissing you, I think you and I both know why I say these next words. After this trip, I don't want to see you again. Ever. I've had enough pain in my life from those I loved, and I never thought that you would be on that list too, but since you clearly only keep our relationship up to manipulate my feelings, I'm done."

Ren's heart felt like it was breaking in two, and the confession that would fix this all was on the tip of his tongue, but Kyoko continued on. "Out of professional respect to your career which is currently in the hands of Yashiro-san who will ruin it if I try to run away, I'll stay on this trip. I might as well just think of it as an acting exercise. If I'm able to act lovingly towards someone who has hurt me so much like you have, then that should mean I'm an actress capable of rising to the top of the entertainment industry. It's great that I'm a method actress too, so I'll act against you this one last time. After this, you are free from the confining role as my senpai, Corn, or whoever you are." Kyoko smiled bitterly, closing her eyes to let her perfected wife character take over her mind and body.

"No, please, Kyoko, don't do this! I just... I…I love you! That's why I kissed you in Guam! I love you. I never wanted to hurt you. I kissed you because I was selfish after seeing Fuwa kiss you on Valentine's Day and wanted to also kiss you that day but only had the chance to kiss you on the cheek. I love you, Kyoko," Ren confessed. Kyoko's eyes flew open, and Ren breathed a sigh of relief at telling her just in time. However, as Kyoko's eyes softened, Ren felt his relief begin to be replaced by fear.

"I love you too, Kuon," Kyoko smiled back, and with those words, Ren knew he had been too late as her wife character took over. He had lost her forever.

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***Shields myself from projectiles thrown by angry readers at doing this to poor Ren and Kyoko***

**Wow, that chapter was probably the most intensely emotional chapter I've ever written. I took some inspiration from the recent Skip Beat! chapters to write this confrontation scene, but I think I just made it even more intense than it was in canon. I think this is definitely one of the worst possible outcomes that could have resulted from this conversation, but we still have lots of story left to fix the relationship between Kyoko and Ren. Thank you for supporting this story, and I'll see you all next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

No. No. No. Ren felt as if his whole world was slipping away from him as Kyoko watched him in concern. Why did he ever let his jealousy get the better of him like this?

"What's wrong, honey?" Kyoko asked, showing no signs of remembering their conversation. Ren had dreamed before that Kyoko would one day call him by a pet name like "honey", but this wasn't how he wanted her to do it.

"Please, Kyoko, I love you. That's why I did what I did in Guam. Please come back to me," Ren grabbed her hands in his own.

"What are you talking about? I'm already here," Kyoko rubbed the back of his hand soothingly.

"No. Please Kyoko, can you hear me? I'm so sorry. I love you. Please let me explain why I did what I did in Guam," Ren pleaded. Kyoko placed a hand to his forehead.

"Are you feeling sick? You're not making sense, Kuon."

Ren looked into her eyes to find no recognition or hatred in her gaze. She must have not heard him before this wife character took over. He had missed his opportunity to salvage their relationship. She had her true self locked up tight inside her, and it wouldn't be easy to get her out. Confessions of love didn't so much as make her bat an eyelash.

"You're right. I am feeling sick," Ren replied.

"I'll let you rest, then. Tell me when you feel better," Kyoko smiled supportingly. Ren only nodded blankly, turning to the window and taking his hand out of hers so that he could rest his head against the hand, trying to hide the devastation he was feeling from her.

Meanwhile, Kyoko's smile began to falter, quickly being replaced by an expression of horror as her wife character's spirit faded away. Her hands started to shake, but she quickly grabbed the sides of her shirt to stabilize herself after what she had heard.

Her wife character had never been perfected. There was just no way she could convince herself that she could ever be Ren's wife. She had lied when she said she would use method acting to ignore him. It wasn't like Mio where she could just lose herself completely in the character. Kyoko had been fully aware of herself and her actions this whole time. With this man acting opposite her, she just couldn't lose herself in her method acting. Only Ren could force her to break out of character so easily like this. Just like when she had portrayed Setsu, it was insane how easily Ren acting opposite her made her unable to stay in character. It was fortunate that her regular acting skills were good enough to convince him that she was entranced in this wife character, even when she really wasn't.

"_I love you, Kyoko_."

Kyoko put her hands in her lap and stared at them, her mind still short circuiting after what she had heard Ren say. After going through a rollercoaster of emotion only a few minutes ago and suddenly having this confession piled on top, Kyoko felt like the world was about to explode in a fiery blaze. These past ten minutes had been an earth-shattering series of events.

There was just no way he had been telling the truth when he said he loved her. He must have said it in a desperate last attempt to salvage their relationship. There was no way he was being serious. Kyoko wouldn't accept it. She couldn't. She knew for a fact that he was already in love with Kimiko. He had told her himself as Bo. Besides, she knew for a fact that he was a bona fide playboy after that scandal of him kissing that older actress, Kana-san. His confession to her must have been just another one of his playboy tactics. There was no way he actually loved her. No way.

Both Kyoko and Ren sat facing away from each other in inner turmoil as the tour bus winded through the mountainous streets towards Mt. Fuji.

...

Ren awoke with a start as Kyoko tapped him on the shoulder. When had he fallen asleep? When he saw her smiling softly at him, he wondered if their fight had all been a dream.

"Kuon, we've arrived at the hotel," Kyoko said, crushing Ren's hopes. It had definitely not been a dream. He stood up and looked back to see that mostly everyone had already departed the bus.

"I see. Let's head inside, then," Ren replied, looking blankly at her as they exited the bus. They retrieved their luggage from the bottom of the bus before heading towards the hotel behind the other couples.

Ren didn't even pay attention to the beautiful scenery around him, only trying to see if there were any cracks in Kyoko's wife character as she marveled at the mountainous landscape until they entered the hotel. Once inside, they saw Mari handing out room keys to various couples. Yumi and Kazumi were given a room key, and Ren managed a small smile back as they waved at him and Kyoko. Ren and Kyoko had been the last couple off the bus, so when they approached Mari, she had only one more set of keys left.

"You two have room 22. You can eat dinner wherever you wish, and make sure to enjoy the hot springs while you're here. We'll reconvene as a group tomorrow morning at 9 AM to give you guys a little time to rest. We'll meet again for breakfast in the hotel's restaurant," Mari said softly, although Ren caught the apprehensive look in her eyes. She must have heard their fight since she was sitting in the row next to them. Kyoko and Ren hadn't exactly been quiet when they had their fight, so Ren wouldn't have been surprised if the whole bus had heard it. Kyoko thanked Mari and took the keycards, leaving Ren to follow behind her.

Since all the other couples had already gone ahead, Kyoko and Ren rode the elevator up alone in silence. Once they reached the second floor, they exited the elevator and walked through the halls until reaching room 22. Kyoko took a room key out of its sleeve and pressed it to the door's sensor, causing it to flash green and beep. Kyoko turned the handle and rolled her bag into the room as Ren held the door open for her. She turned back to thank him, and looked around at the room as she walked in. The view from their room was truly amazing! The sun was setting, but Kyoko could see the outline of Mt. Fuji right outside their window! Although it was obstructed partially by clouds, Kyoko knew that the mountain would be gorgeous tomorrow morning when they woke up!

However, as Kyoko saw the one gigantic bed in the middle of the room, she couldn't help but stop in her tracks as her wife facade cracked. She hadn't realized that this trip with Ren would mean she had to not only share a room, but a bed with him too! Sure she had shared a bed with him as Setsu, but that had been different since she was in character! If she had to sleep in the bed as his wife...

No! She couldn't let herself break character like this! She had to keep in character!

Ren watched as Kyoko paused in the doorway and looked over her shoulder at the room. It seemed like a normal king-sized bed room to him, but why had she paused in the doorway?

"Kyoko?" Ren wondered.

Kyoko quickly turned to him with a smile. "S-Sorry! I was just surprised to see...how beautiful the view from our room is!" Kyoko smiled crossing over to the window which gave a stunning view of Mt. Fuji, although Ren noticed that her cheeks were tinted red.

Ren looked towards the bed again and realized that they had only ever shared a bed as Cain and Setsu. Kyoko herself was currently hiding behind a character, but why had she paused in the doorway? Was it possible she just broke character for a second?

Ren stood in the doorway as Kyoko entered deeper into the room, setting up her luggage. He quickly thought up a plan. If there was a way for him to force her to break character and face him for just enough time to let him confess and fix everything, then he would do whatever it took. Ren followed her deeper into the room and set his bag down, approaching Kyoko from behind as she leaned over her opened bag. He encircled his arms around her, but he didn't feel her freeze up like he had expected. He had to take this further.

"That bus ride took so long. I was wondering how long it would take until I could have you all to myself," Ren said, leaning further into her. He flipped her around so that her wide golden eyes stared into his own emerald ones. Unfortunately, she seemed determined to stay in character as she smiled at him. "Me too," Kyoko replied.

Ren placed a hand on her cheek, and she looked up at him in questioning. Ren slowly brought his face closer to hers, and she finally realized what he was trying to do. She fluttered her eyes closed, and his eyes focused on her lips, inching closer until they were only a breath apart. He waited in this position for a few seconds, but her eyes only remained closed, as if she were expecting the kiss as a common occurrence. Ren pulled back, not wanting to force yet another kiss on her.

He instantly realized just who he resembled by trying to force a kiss on Kyoko, and Ren felt ashamed for even thinking of using that tactic to snap Kyoko out of character. He had always prided himself as being a better person than Sho, but maybe they weren't so different after all in the fear of losing the girl they loved. They were both absolutely pathetic, resorting to these means to try to woo the girl they loved. This was why Kyoko had gotten angry at him earlier, after all. He wouldn't manipulate her into kissing him again. It was wrong when he had done so as Corn, and it was wrong now.

"I'm still not feeling that well. Let's just head to dinner," Ren pulled away from her. Kyoko's eyes fluttered back open, and she nodded in understanding as Ren headed towards the door of the room. She stayed frozen in her spot, mad at her heart that had been beating so fast.

Why did she always let herself get stuck in these situations? First, she had let Sho steal not one, but two kisses from her, and she had also let Corn steal two kisses from her. But the worst part about it was that Kyoko knew that some part of her had wanted the kiss. She was angry at him and felt betrayed, but why couldn't this wretched feelings just leave?! She wanted to hate him and never see him again, but another part of her couldn't stand the thought of never talking to him again.

Kyoko shook the thoughts out of her head as Ren turned back to her, and she put on a fake smile as her wife character to follow him out the door.

...

Ren had suggested that they dine at one of the restaurants connected to the hotel for convenience, so Kyoko and Ren found themselves being led to a table for two by a waiter at the hotel's French restaurant. Kyoko was surprised when Ren pulled out her chair for her, but of course the playboy would. It wasn't like she was special. Kyoko sat down and opened her menu, but her eyes widened in shock when she looked at the prices of the various dishes.

"Order whatever you want. Price doesn't matter."

Kyoko looked up and realized that Ren had caught her reaction to the menu prices. "I'll pay for both of us," Ren added, looking back down at his menu.

"Oh no. It's fine. I wouldn't-"

"It wouldn't make me a very good husband if I let my wife pay for her own meal. I'm paying for both of us," Ren cut her off, stopping any further argument. Kyoko grumbled but looked at her menu to find something to order. When the waiter came around, Kyoko ordered the cheapest salad on the menu.

"I told you that you could order whatever you wanted," Ren said as the waiter left.

"I did, honey," Kyoko replied. She shifted in her seat at Ren's knowing gaze but quickly grabbed her glass of water and took a sip.

"You don't need to call me that. Please don't keep up this act. Please just give me Kyoko back and let me explain everything. I know I've been very secretive, but I won't lie to you ever again. Just please give me another chance, Kyoko," Ren begged.

"What are you talking about, Kuon?" Kyoko 's wife character reacted cluelessly. Ren's eyes turned into those darn puppy dog eyes that Kyoko couldn't say no to, and Kyoko's wife character began to drift away. However, Kyoko quickly grabbed onto her wife character's spirit and yanked it back into her body.

"I still don't know what you're trying to tell me, honey," Kyoko's wife character smiled. Ren sighed but looked at her in determination.

"Do you remember when we first met?" Ren asked.

"Of course. You hated me back then when I first tried to join LME-"

"No, not that meeting. We first met in Kyoto."

Kyoko stilled as she tried desperately to hold onto her wife character as the memories of Corn that she had tried to repress ever since her falling out with Ren resurfaced. "Oh, sorry I forgot about that," Kyoko laughed it off, but she stopped laughing as she saw the glimpse of hurt in Ren's eyes. Ren looked down but shook his head, determined to continue.

"At first I had no interest in my father's home country of Japan. It was such a tiny country. I didn't even have any interest in learning Kanji. I didn't think if would do me any good when I grew up, and when I told my father I would rather learn Chinese, I made my father very unhappy. But one day he asked me if I would like to come with him to Japan while he was visiting to promote one of his movies. I never would have dreamed of wanting to visit Kyoto instead of the capital, Tokyo, but I decided to come with him on his trip."

"Your father's also in show business?" Kyoko asked, letting her curiosity get the better of her as her wife character was pushed away. Ren looked at her in confusion. "Yes? I thought you already figured out who I was behind the stage name? You kept calling me by my real name, so I figured that you must have already known."

Kyoko blinked and tried to rummage through her head to figure out when she had given him the notion that she knew his true name. The only name that she had called him by was Kuon, but the only Kuon she knew whose father was in show business was Kuon Hizuri...

The puzzle pieces suddenly clicked together, and Kyoko stood up from her seat in shock. "YOU'RE FATHER'S KUON?!"

The other people in the restaurant all stared at Kyoko after her outburst, and she quickly sat back down and put her face into her hands in embarrassment. Ren couldn't help his laugh at her flustered face. "I had thought you knew this whole time, Kyoko."

Kyoko looked up at him again with his use of her given name and remembered how she was supposed to be portraying his wife. Kyoko quickly shoved her wife character back up.

"Sorry, I must have been so out of it after that long bus ride that I forgot who my in-laws were," Kyoko laughed. Ren's smile disappeared as he realized she had reverted back to her wife character, but as he was about to continue in his conversation with her, the waiter returned with their food.

Ren didn't have another chance to speak with Kyoko while she was pointedly eating her salad, so he resigned to eating as well. Kyoko glanced at him as she ate, now realizing just how similar Ren looked to Kuu. How could no one else in Japan realize the similarity?! And why did Ren hide his lineage? In Kyoko's eyes, he would have probably rocketed to stardom if he would have told Japan about his parentage along with showcasing his talent in acting. It just didn't make sense to Kyoko why he would hide his true identity, especially when Kuu came to visit Japan. They had acted like they didn't know each other at all!

Kyoko was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when she had already finished her salad on autopilot. "Kyoko? There's no more food on your plate, but you can order something else if you're still hungry," Ren snapped her out of her thoughts. Kyoko looked down at her clean plate in shock and set down her fork, embarrassed yet again.

"Sorry. I don't need to order anything else."

"You don't have to apologize," Ren replied, flagging down their waiter for the check. Kyoko watched as he took out his credit card and cursed herself for not being able to pay as his wife.

While they waited for their water to return with the bill, Ren spoke up. "Aren't you going to ask me why I hide my identity from everyone?"

Kyoko bit her lip, trying to debate whether she should ask or not. Clearly, Ren was trying to bait her out of her wife character, and if she asked the question, it would tell him that she really wasn't in character since she should already know these things as his wife. But Kyoko also really did want to know why Ren had hidden his name. "Why are you telling me this?" Kyoko asked carefully, wording the question so that it revealed neither option.

"I'll tell you the answer to that question if you give me a chance and drop the wife character," Ren replied.

"What do you mean?" Kyoko asked innocently, but Ren only shook his head, tired of her constant diversions.

"I won't lie to you anymore. I'm willing to tell you everything as long as you are willing to listen. However, I want to tell it to the real Kyoko, not this character that she made up. I know you're angry at me, but I can clear everything up, I promise. Will you give me another chance?"

Kyoko widened her eyes but looked at her lap, weighing both options. What should she do?

* * *

**I know that it's a little debatable, but I feel that this counts for Kyoko figuring out Ren's true name by herself to fulfill the requirement of the challenge. Ren didn't explicitly reveal his identity as Kuon since he thought she had already figured it out by the name she called him, but he did explain a bit about his past that helped her realize he was Kuon Hizuri. I'm going to count it as fulfilling rule number 6!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for being patient with me on updates for this story! After a long wait, here's chapter 6!**

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The waiter brought back their check, and Kyoko realized that she had to make a choice. After all this running away, could she really cave in and face her fears? What if they came true? How would she recover?

After Ren had finished putting his card back in his wallet, he looked up at Kyoko expectantly. Kyoko took a deep breath before finally responding.

"I-I need some time alone first to think. I think I'll go experience the hot spring here. When I return, I'll make my decision," Kyoko declared, hurriedly standing up. Ren stood up and crossed over to her side of the table, holding out his hand for her. She widened her eyes.

"Then I'll anxiously await for you to return," Ren smiled hopefully. Kyoko's heart fluttered at his expression, but she ignored his outstretched hand and brushed past him.

The two made their way back to their room in an awkward silence. Once Ren had opened the door, Kyoko immediately started to search through the drawers of the room for yukatas. After changing into a yukata in the bathroom of their hotel room, Kyoko quickly ducked out of their room towards the hot spring without saying goodbye to Ren.

Kyoko rode down the elevator to the basement of the hotel where the gender-separated hot springs were and headed into the female hot springs. She slipped off her sandals and padded into the showers to wash off before entering the onsen area. After putting away her yukata in a locker and grabbing a small towel for modesty, Kyoko headed to the hot springs.

The hotel she was staying at had both an indoor and outdoor hot spring, but the indoor one had a group of three older women having a conversation, so Kyoko headed to the outdoor hot spring to not disturb their conversation. There was only one girl in the outdoor hot spring, although Kyoko didn't take a good look at her before dipping into the water and feeling herself instantly relax in the soothing waters. She placed the small towel on her head and sunk in fully up to her neck.

"Kyoko-chan?"

Kyoko glanced at the other lady in the outdoor hot spring and realized it was her tour guide. "Mari-san!" Kyoko smiled, wading over to her. Mari smiled back at her as Kyoko sat down on the bench next to Mari.

"How are you, Kyoko-chan?" Mari asked.

"I'm fine. How about you, Mari-san?"

"I'm doing well," Mari responded, but she paused before continuing. "Kyoko-chan, if you need anybody to vent to, I'm here for you," Mari smiled encouragingly.

"Did you hear my whole fight with R-Kuon? Kyoko worried. Mari nodded, and Kyoko groaned.

"I'm so sorry!"

"About what? You don't have to apologize to me. I didn't really understand all that you two were talking about though. I mean, Kuon-san said that you had ignored him the past few months, but that didn't make any sense to me since you two were just married, right?"

Kyoko was about to open her mouth and blurt out the truth about her and Ren's fight, but she wasn't going to compromise Ren's identity. Kyoko chose not to respond and tried to change the subject. "I don't know what to do, Mari-san. Did I jump to conclusions too quick about him trying to manipulate and trick me?"

"Did you ask him about it like I told you to?"

"N-not exactly?"

Mari narrowed her eyes at Kyoko. "Then how could you know for certain that he manipulated and tricked you? Seriously, you two just need to communicate. Kyoko-chan, how long did you and your husband date before deciding to get married?" Mari wondered. Kyoko blinked and thought about how long she had known Ren. "About a year?"

"How many major fights did you have while you were dating?"

"Well we hated each other when we first met?"

"That's not what I mean. Did you two ever have a fight that made it seem like you might break up, but you resolved the issue and grew stronger together? Did you ever resolve any conflicts having to do his jealousy or yours?"

"What?! Ts-Kuon would never be jealous!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Everyone gets jealous once in a while, Kyoko-chan. From what I could hear of your conversation with your husband, it seemed he was jealous of your friendship with your coworker?"

"What? Jealous of Koga-san? Why would he be jealous?!"

"Men are a bit territorial. He probably misinterpreted your conversation and lashed out at you because of his jealousy that you were showing another man attention like that," Mari giggled.

Kyoko didn't have the heart to tell Mari that there was no way Ren was jealous since people were only jealous towards those they loved. And Kyoko knew for a fact that Ren was in love with Kimiko, not her. Jealousy couldn't explain his actions towards her.

"Kyoko-chan, like I said before, I think you two really just need to sit down and have a conversation. Perhaps everything can be solved if you just talk."

"Mari-san, do you think I overreacted in that situation?"

"I don't know all the details of your relationship with Kuon-san, but I do think you two seemed like you were coming to a boiling point in your fight. You might have let all of this build up for so long that it all just came barreling out at once."

Kyoko sighed. "So I overreacted."

"Even if you did overreact, you just have to be willing to fix whatever you said in the heat of the moment," Mari smiled encouragingly.

"Mari-san, thank you for being so nice to me and helping me through this. I know I keep dumping my problems on you, but if you want to talk about anything, I'm here for you too!" Kyoko exclaimed, pumping down a fist in determination to help Mari just as much as she had helped her. Mari laughed at Kyoko's enthusiasm.

"Luckily, I'm in a pretty good place right now," Mari smiled.

"That's great! Actually… could I ask you a question about yourself that I've been wondering for a while?"

"Sure!"

"You're a tour guide for a honeymooner's bus, but that means that you have to constantly travel with the tour group and live away from home. Doesn't it get a bit lonely?" Kyoko wondered. Mari smiled sadly.

"I don't have anyone at home waiting for me anyways."

"Eh? I thought you said you were married when we visited the Tokyo Daijingu shrine?"

"I was married before, but my husband, Yuuto, passed away two years ago in a car accident."

Kyoko gaped her mouth and furiously tried to apologize for her nosiness. "I'm so sorry! I had no idea! I shouldn't have been so insensitive!"

"You had no way of knowing, Kyoko-chan. It's been two years already, so speaking about him doesn't affect me as much as it used to. I-I just hope that you're able to reconcile with your own husband…The day that Yuuto passed away, I had gotten into a huge fight with him since I had thought he was having an affair with one of his coworkers since he had been spending so much time with her. At the time, I remember I was so mad at him that I didn't even say goodbye to him when he left the house the morning of the accident… After his passing, I found out that I had a misunderstanding the whole time and that he had only been helping that coworker out since she had recently just become a single mom. I felt so horrible for ever doubting Yuuto and letting our fight drag on for so long, and I still regret never apologizing to him."

"Kyoko-chan, what I learned from that day is that you should resolve conflicts as soon as possible. Don't drag these fights on for too long. In the whole scheme of things, what you're usually fighting over is unimportant compared to the happy times you get to spend with your partner, so try to lessen the days of conflict in favor of spending more good days with your husband. I love Yuuto, and I've always regretted being too quick to make an assumption that I falsely accused him and never got to apologize to him. That guilt is still with me today, but I also know that dwelling on the past is no good. I just have to learn from my past mistakes and make sure they never happen again."

Mari turned to Kyoko and was shocked to see Kyoko crying. "Mari-san, I had no idea. I should have just followed your advice earlier instead of making my assumptions about Kuon. You're right. It's not good to keep dwelling on this problem. I need to fix it once and for all!"

"I'm glad you were able to realize that," Mari smiled as Kyoko wiped her tears away with newfound conviction.

"Thank you, Mari-san. I will never forget the advice you shared with me," Kyoko bowed her head before standing up to leave the hot springs.

"Kyoko-chan, where are you going? You just got to the hot springs. Aren't you going to spend a little more time here?" Mari called out as Kyoko climbed out of the water.

"I need to talk with Kuon as soon as possible," Kyoko responded, hurrying back inside to the changing room. When she was gone, Mari looked up at the night sky and sighed.

"I miss you, Yuuto," Mari said as she leaned back, allowing the tears she had been holding back during her conversation with Kyoko to flow freely now that she was alone.

…

Kyoko changed back into her yukata in lightning speed and rushed back up to the hotel room she was sharing with Ren. However, when she arrived at her room, she realized that she hadn't brought her keycard with her to the hot springs. Kyoko knocked on the door, hoping that Ren could hear the knock.

Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief as Ren opened the door. He leaned against the doorframe, looking down at her with a smile of amusement. "I didn't think you would be back so soon."

"Sorry. I was in such a rush earlier that I forgot to grab a room key," Kyoko replied. Ren cleared the way for her, and she immediately strode over to the bed and sat down, motioning for Ren to sit on the armchair in front of the desk. He raised an eyebrow but took the chair and turned it towards her, sitting down. Kyoko huffed in annoyance that Ren was still taller than her like this, but this would have to do.

"I met Mari-san at the hot spring."

"Did you enjoy the hot spring then?"

"Yes. It was very soothing. But that's not the point. Mari-san encouraged me to talk to you. She made me realize that...I have to clear up this situation. If I'm making false assumptions, then I need to figure out the truth."

"I'll have to thank Mari-san next time I see her."

"I'm willing to listen to you now, but no more lies, Tsuruga-san. You have to tell me the entire truth. Afterwards…I'll decide whether or not I can continue my past relationship with you," Kyoko said determinedly. He had really been so patient with her all this time. It was time she gave him the same courtesy. Ren nodded with a nervous smile.

"All right. I can agree to those conditions. Where do you want me to start?"


	7. Chapter 7

**Since I hadn't updated this story in so long, I thought I would give you guys a new chapter only a day after last chapter! I hope you enjoy them finally talking it out!**

* * *

"Well earlier in the restaurant, you said you would tell me first why you hide your identity from the public," Kyoko responded to his question.

"Ah. You're right. I should probably start there then..." Ren replied, shifting around in his seat as he thought of how to broach the subject.

"As you know, my parents are famous celebrities both in America and in Japan. As a result, I grew up in the world of entertainment from a young age."

"That explains why you're so good at acting," Kyoko huffed. Ren shook his head and smiled sadly.

"It's true that I had acting experience from a young age, but I was also forced to grow up quicker than most kids do. Since I was part-Japanese and part-Russian, I would be bullied for my race by others, and any violence that happened on set was never reported in order to prevent a scandal from leaking out. Even my own parents had no idea what they did to me on set. And having a dad who was known as a world-class actor was a curse. Directors would always expect so much out of me, wondering why I was never as good as my father was. I was fired from projects so many times just because they had these unrealistic expectations of me as a kid."

"That's...that's so terrible..." Kyoko sympathized with him, although Ren didn't know how to respond except for a soft nod.

"There was this boy I met. His name was Rick. He tried to encourage me to fight back against them instead of letting them walk all over me. As a result, I learned how to fight, using my anger at the industry as fuel behind my fists. All of this pent-up fury came rushing out, and I eventually joined gangs and would beat someone up almost every single day. One day, I had been attacking this one rival gang, but one of the guys ran away before I could knock him out. My friend, Rick, had followed me out that day, and his fiancé, Tina, had gone after him. Rick ran after me as I gave chase to that guy, and..." Ren trailed off, his pupils constricting as the events of that day replayed themselves in his head. He could still see the pool of blood that had flowed out from Rick's body; he could hear the screams of Tina accusing him of being a murderer. He unknowingly clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white.

"Tsuruga-san!"

Ren was broken from his trance and looked down to see that Kyoko had wrapped her hands around one of his. He looked into her eyes to see that they were full of concern. Even after all of this time when he had hurt her by lying to her, she still had the kindness to feel concerned about him. It was no wonder that he fell for her.

"I-I'm sorry... I've n-never had to tell someone before about what happened that night... I j-just... I need a second..." Ren tried to take deep breaths as he shut his eyes to calm himself. He noticed that Kyoko's hands were still around his own. Her hands were like a tether back to reality. He would continue. He had to tell her everything. She deserved to know.

"I heard a loud crash...and when I looked back...R-Rick...a c-car...I...murdered..."

"It's ok. I understand what you're trying to say," Kyoko said, wanting to do anything in her power to stop him from reliving those painful memories. She could feel him shaking, and Kyoko completely forgot the grudge she had held against him the past few months as she pulled him into an embrace. Ren returned the hug, and they sat together like that for a few minutes as Ren's shaking gradually slowed. Kyoko pulled back and looked to see that Ren's eyes weren't haunted anymore, breathing a sigh of relief. Ren gave her a small smile of gratitude for the comfort she had given him before continuing on.

"A-After that, I couldn't function. What had happened to Rick was all my fault. I had stolen away the life he could have had with Tina. There were so many months where I just stayed in my room the whole day, only getting up from bed to eat or drink when my parents forced me to. I didn't want to be Kuon Hizuri anymore. Kuon Hizuri had only ever brought pain and burden to those around him. I couldn't live with myself.

However, one day, Boss came to visit us in California and gave me an offer. Leave my life in America behind and try to build myself up in Japan under a different name. I had nothing else to lose, so I immediately accepted and left on a plane to Tokyo with only my passport and the clothes on my back. I didn't even say goodbye to my mom before I left since she was at work. When I got to Japan, Miss Woods dyed my hair dark brown and gave me brown contacts so that I would look more Japanese. I began my life as the proper gentleman, Ren Tsuruga, and I won roles and gained more and more popularity by my own abilities. My parents never tried to contact me since Boss told them that I could have no connection with them if I truly wanted to remake myself as Tsuruga Ren. That's why I don't reveal my identity," Ren finished. He glanced at Kyoko to see that she was biting the side of her lip, almost as if she wanted to say something but was actively stopping herself.

"Did you want to ask me something else? You seem to have something on your mind."

"Is this why you can't have anyone close to you at this time? You don't believe you deserve happiness?" Kyoko blurted out, unable to help her curiosity. Ren blinked a few times, trying to figure out where she could have heard that from...

"A few months ago, yes. I believed that I didn't deserve to love someone since I was the one who destroyed Tina and Rick's own relationship, but now I realize that I can't just cast off my feelings as easily as I thought," Ren replied. Kyoko's heart felt like it was cracking as she realized with dread that this meant that Ren had thoroughly decided to start going after Kimiko. Kyoko had tried to lie to herself and tell herself that Ren would never fall for someone since he had told those words to Bo, but now he had refuted his past statement. Soon, Ren would start pursuing Kimiko, and Kyoko would have to watch as they started to date.

Kyoko closed her eyes as tears threatened to fall. She shouldn't be thinking about this right now. Now that she knew just how deeply Ren loved Kimiko, Kyoko knew she could never tell him the truth of her own feelings. This all but confirmed her worst fears about Guam, but she needed to hear it directly from him. She had promised Mari, after all.

"Kyoko-chan?" Ren wondered why she was closing her eyes.

"Tsuruga-san, why did you never tell me that you were Corn?" Kyoko asked. She watched as Ren stood up and crossed over to his bag, picking up a small object before returning to her. When he opened his palm, she felt herself freeze at seeing a familiar stone.

"I lied to you, and I'm sorry. I was never a fairy prince. This stone was never magical, but I thought that by giving it to you, you would have a way to relieve your sorrows even when I wasn't there. It had helped me through some tough times before, and I thought it might help you as well."

Kyoko looked down at the stone and pushed his hand away. "Corn was important to me. I don't understand why you didn't reveal your identity to me when you saw me with the stone that day on the LME stairwell and instead bullied me for being duped by you."

"I'm sorry. I wasn't ready to reveal myself to you back then, so I made up the lie that the stone could be found in any souvenir shop in Kyoto. Both you and I had changed so much since we had met as kids, and I didn't want to crush your dreams by making you realize that the perfect fairy prince who had given you this stone was actually a famous actor's fallen son, running away from his problems," Ren clenched the stone in his hand.

"Then in Guam, you only kept up the act as Corn to not hurt my feelings?" Kyoko tilted her head to the side in questioning. Ren nodded.

"I was originally going to act like I didn't know you, but when I saw how sad you were when I ignored you, I had to do something. I didn't mean to blow this all out of proportion."

"Then why did you kiss me?" Kyoko asked the question that had been on her mind ever since she had found out that Ren was Corn.

Ren took a deep breath. "I should have never manipulated you for my own selfish desires. It was wrong, and I'm sorry."

"Selfish desires? Why would you have the desire to kiss me?" Kyoko asked, utterly confused by Ren's answer. In all of the times she had played out this conversation in her head, she had never once anticipated this answer.

"I said it in Guam, didn't I?" Ren responded.

Kyoko could only blink in confusion as Ren's words failed to hit their mark. One line that he had said in Guam stuck out of her, but she knew for certain that it wasn't that. There was no way...

"What are you referring to?" Kyoko asked. She watched as Ren took a deep breath and closed his eyes, mustering up courage before he opened his green eyes that shone with determination.

"It's because I love you."

His words slammed into her like a pound of bricks. Kyoko's spirit had floated away, and her grudges struggled to bring her back into her own body. They succeeded, and Kyoko stared at him blankly. There was absolutely no way that he was telling the truth.

"Tsuruga-san, I thought I told you no more lies," Kyoko frowned.

"I'm not lying, I swear it on my life."

"B-But you love Kimiko Morizumi!"

Now it was Ren's turn to be confused. "Who's Kimiko Morizumi? Who told you that I loved Kimiko Morizumi?"

"You gave her a pinky ring for White Day when you worked on Purple Down II with her!"

Ren paused to think for a second before a faint recollection came to mind. "Morizumi-san and I worked together a long time ago. I assure you, I don't love her. Yashiro-san must have picked out my return gifts that year. She must have received a pinky ring just like everyone else who sent me a Valentine's present that year. Why would you even think that I love her?"

"Y-You love a high school girl, and Morizumi-san is the only high school girl who fits the description!"

Ren was entirely confused as to how Kyoko knew he loved a high school girl. The only people who knew that he loved a high school girl were Yashiro, Lory, and Bo the chicken, but Yashiro and Lory would never tell another soul about his crush even though they endlessly teased him about it. That only left one other option...

"I thought that chicken was trustworthy, but apparently he wasn't if he talked about my personal matters with others," Ren darkened in anger.

"I-I never talked with anyone about your personal matters, Tsuruga-san!" Kyoko replied in fear of the demon lord coming out, and Ren turned to her in shock as one possibility came to mind.

"You were the chicken?!"

"I'm sorry I lied to you, but I swear I never told anyone about your ignorance on tentekomai or told anyone about the girl you loved! But you said you would be honest with me, Tsuruga-san, so please tell me the truth behind what you did at Guam!"

Ren stared at her bewildered that she still hadn't caught on. "I was telling the truth. The high school girl that I told the chicken about wasn't Morizumi-san. It was you."

Ren's words finally sank in, and Kyoko's heart stopped. She couldn't breathe. No. There was no way.

"Kyoko-chan!" Ren exclaimed in concern as Kyoko fell backwards onto the bed.

"I-I told you before, Tsuruga-san, I'm willing to listen to whatever explanation you have for your actions in Guam, but please don't lie about something like this," Kyoko buried her face into a pillow.

"I'm not lying. I do love you," Ren said, coming over to the bed in concern that Kyoko was really angry at him for falling in love with her.

"Say it again," He heard her murmur.

"I love you?"

"Again."

"I love you."

"SAY IT AGAIN!" Kyoko turned to him.

"I love you," Ren complied with her request. Kyoko turned and groaned into a pillow.

"This can't be possible. I must be dreaming, that's it. I just need to wake up," Ren heard Kyoko murmur as she slapped her cheeks, trying to wake herself up. He quickly took her hands in his own and stopped her from hurting herself as she began to slap herself harder.

"Kyoko, I know your stance on love, but I truly do love you."

Kyoko turned to him, and Ren watched as her whole face heated into a blush.

"This isn't a dream?"

"No, it's not."

"Oh kami-sama, how is this possible?"

"I'm sorry. I really don't deserve you."

"EHHHH?!" Kyoko screamed.

"After all the lies that I told you, I don't deserve to-"

"N-no! It's me who doesn't deserve this! I was so horrible to you these past few months! You have no reason to love someone like me! I don't deserve your love!" Kyoko cut him off.

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Y-You're the top actor in Japan! You're the number one bachelor in Japan! Guys like you don't fall for boring girls with no sex appeal like me!"

"You are neither of those things. You are the most beautiful girl I have ever met. I really do love you, Kyoko."

Ren was shocked as Kyoko became teary-eyed and started to shake her head wildly. "Th-That's not possible!"

"Why can't you believe that I love you?"

"How could you?!"

Ren put his hands up defensively, misinterpreting her accusation as her being mad at him. "I'm sorry. When you acted as my temporary manager, I fell in love-"

"THAT LONG?!" Kyoko screamed. That meant that he had loved her for longer than she had even loved him!

"I was a coward for such a long time that I couldn't tell you, and I knew I already stood no chance..."

"Tsuruga-san, I'm sorry..." Kyoko trailed off. Ren braced his heart for the rejection he had been anticipating.

"You don't have to apologize if you don't reciprocate my feelings," Ren replied. Kyoko tilted her head to the side in confusion before widening her eyes in shock as her jaw dropped.

"You think I would reject you?! Who would I be if I rejected Ren Tsuruga's confession of love?!"

"I don't want to force you to reciprocate my feelings."

"I really can't believe what's happening right now. Are you sure you l-love me?"

"Of course."

"Oh, Kami-sama... I didn't think you would actually hear my wish at the Tokyo Daijingu shrine..."

"What wish?"

"I thought this whole time that Morizumi-san was the one you loved. When I ignored you for these past few months, it wasn't completely because you lied to me... It was because every time I thought of you, I could only remember the kiss in Guam. And then I would remember Morizumi-san and feel despicable for sharing a kiss with you when you clearly were in love with her. But I just couldn't forget the kiss because I..."

Kyoko shut her eyes tightly and looked as if she was about to hyperventilate. Ren regarded her with concern.

"I wanted you to love me," Kyoko blurted out.

Ren almost fell out of his seat. His heart was racing at the implications of her statement, but she hadn't explicitly said those words that Ren had only ever dreamed of hearing from her. "Y-You wanted me to love you..."

"Ever since your acting test for Katsuki, I've had these despicable feelings that I didn't know what to do about. I thought that I could ignore them, but when we acted as Cain and Setsu, I knew that there was no way. I had tried to lock the feelings away, but you blew open the locks every single time! Even the president could see my feelings. He asked me if I would be able to wish you well if you were to fall in love with another woman, but I just couldn't say yes. I kept telling myself that you had told Bo that you couldn't have anyone important to you so you would never fall in love with someone else, and...I'm sorry, I'm probably rambling right now. I...I also..." Kyoko trailed off, not quite able to say the words.

"Kyoko-chan. Do you love me back?" Ren filled in her blanks. Kyoko reddened and nodded quickly. Ren immediately stood up and crossed to the bed to envelop her in his arms. Kyoko gave a little squeak and reddened even more.

"I'm the happiest man alive," Ren breathed out, still not quite believing this was real. He released Kyoko and brought his face closer to hers, intending to kiss her, but she squealed and quickly rolled away, covering her face with her hands.

"I'm sorry, I just don't think I-I'm r-ready...f-for..."

"I understand. I can wait," Ren replied. Kyoko nodded and scooted away from him to put a comfortable distance between them again.

"So where do we go from here, Tsuruga-san? Are we still going to keep up the act of husband and wife?" Kyoko wondered before suddenly widening her eyes as she realized something. "Wait! I should be calling you Hizuri-san instead!"

"Actually, just Kuon is fine. I still haven't revealed my real name to the public, so I would ask you don't call me by my real name in public. Call me Ren instead."

"So Tsuruga-san…"

"Kyoko, did you hear what I just said?"

Kyoko's cheeks reddened even more, and she turned away from Ren to hide her blush at his use of her given name without any honorifics. "Yes?"

"Sorry if I was presumptuous, but can I call you Kyoko?" Ren asked.

"O-Of course! Why would I not let you call me that?"

"I remember you telling me that I had to use a suffix the first time that we met…" Ren brought up his hand to cover the amused smile he wore.

"O-Oh! Yes, I did say that when we first met, didn't I? But since you're my senpai-"

"I don't want you to allow me to call you by your given name just because I'm your senpai."

"Th-Then since you're Corn, I guess it's fine, Tsuruga-san…" Kyoko revised her statement, and Ren sighed.

"Kyoko, I said it was fine to call me by my given name in private. When we're in public, you can just call me Ren."

"Wh-What?!" Kyoko gasped.

"You can call me Kuon in private, but when we return from this trip, I would prefer you call me Ren in public until I decide to reveal my true name to the public."

"I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"B-Because I'll be cursed if I do!" Kyoko buried her face in her hands. Ren didn't follow her reasoning.

"Why would you be cursed?"

"I can't call you by that name! That would be so improper!"

"Kyoko, I don't know why you think it would be improper to call me by my given name."

"You're my all-mighty senpai, so-"

"I really don't like how you place me on a pedestal just because I'm your senpai. As you now know, I'm really not as great as you put me out to be. I have no problem with you calling me by my given name, and actually, I want you to."

"B-But-!"

"Please?" Ren used his puppy dog eyes on her. Kyoko deflated, knowing that she couldn't say no.

"I-I'll try then since Ts-Corn wants me to…" Kyoko said quietly. Ren shook his head with a sigh, but at least she was calling him by Corn.

"Good. I think today has been quite eventful so far, and I'm tired, as I'm sure you are as well. How about we get ready for bed and sleep together?"

Kyoko stood up from the bed in shock, her mouth gaped open like a cod. She struggled to respond as her whole body reddened. "Ts-Corn, c-could you repeat what y-you just said?"

Ren thought over his words and blushed himself as he realized the double meaning of his words. "I just meant that we would share the bed and sleep next to each other."

"Oh…" Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief before widening her eyes once again. They had shared a bed as Cain and Setsu, but she had never slept in a bed with Ren himself! And now that they both knew they shared mutual feelings…

"I-I can sleep on the floor!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"Why would you sleep on the floor? What's wrong with sharing the bed? We shared a bed as Cain and Setsu."

"I-I j-just….i-it's different now that I know that you l-love m-me…"

"Kyoko, it's only a bed, and the bed is definitely big enough for both of us. I already promised you that I wouldn't rush anything, and I vow to abide by my previous statement."

"W-Well when you p-put it like that…I guess we can…" Kyoko mumbled, reddening as Ren smiled at her. Oh, this was going to be a long night.


	8. Chapter 8

**It's been a long time since I last updated, and since I know we all have a hole in our chests with the new Skip Beat! chapter not being scanlated yet, I decided that I would help you all with getting through the wait with a new chapter to this fic. Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"I wonder how they're doing right now," Kanae broke the silence.

Yashiro looked up from his unpacking to see Kanae gazing out of the expanse of windows of the hotel room towards Mt. Fuji. Since Kanae and Yashiro had whisked Kyoko and Ren away on a honeymoon tour without informing Lory, he had forced them to share a room for the duration of LME's trip since he quote-on-quote "didn't want to pay for them to have their own rooms when they could just room together" Yashiro knew that Lory wasn't actually concerned with the cost of the trip and that the LME president was only punishing them for planning this behind his back. At least the room was spacious enough and had two big beds.

Yashiro snapped on his gloves and looked at the time on his phone. Based on the honeymoon tour's itinerary, Kyoko and Ren should have already made it to their hotel a few hours ago. The LME tour might have traveled for an hour less since they stopped in Hakone instead of traveling further inland to Lake Kawaguchi where Kyoko and Ren were staying, but they had taken longer to reach their hotel since they made more stops around Tokyo for sightseeing.

"Your cousin hasn't texted you anything, so they must be fine, right?"

"I'm just worried about her. Maybe we shouldn't have forced them together like this. If they didn't resolve whatever was going on between them today, then sharing a hotel room tonight will be very awkward."

"Not to mention that they'll have to share a bed," Yashiro added. Kanae immediately stiffened and turned to him in shock. Yashiro's instincts told him to quickly swipe her phone off the nightstand before she charged over the bed to grab it. It was lucky that he already had his gloves on since he had been handling his own phone moments before.

"Give me back my phone. I'm calling her."

Yashiro was hit with one of Kanae's icy glares, but instead of succumbing to her will, Yashiro goaded her further by taking off one of his gloves. "Not until you promise that you won't interfere. If you call her now, then it'll ruin everything!"

"How could I have forgotten their sleeping situation?! I won't let him do as he pleases with my best friend!" Kanae barked back.

"Kotonami-san, I assure you, Ren is a gentleman. He would never force himself upon Kyoko. They've already shared a hotel room before anyways, so it's not too much of a difference for them to share one now."

"What do you mean they shared a hotel room together?" Kanae's voice dropped as the beast inside her came crawling out. Yashiro realized he had accidentally let slip too much.

"I…uh…"

"She would have mentioned it to me. The only thing she's ever kept hidden from me was that "Something Dangerous" mission. What the hell did she have to do?" Kanae's voice turned predatory. Yashiro involuntarily gulped.

"I can't tell you the details of her mission since the mission's details are bound by a nondisclosure agreement, although I assure you that Ren never forced himself upon Kyoko over the weeks that they shared a hotel room together. Their arrangement was strictly professional. You don't have to worry."

"She started avoiding him after that mission. I should have gathered more information before agreeing to this plan. What if the main reason why she began to avoid him was because of something he did to her during the mission? Maybe I misinterpreted the situation. What if she's afraid of him and that's why she started avoiding him?! I want to talk to her!"

"You can't call her now, or it'll potentially ruin everything. It's already late, anyways. What if they're already sleeping?"

Kanae's anger simmered down, although Yashiro could still detect a slightly irritated tone in her voice. "I want to call her."

"Kotonami-san-"

"I just want to know if she's okay."

"I'm sure Kyoko-chan would call you if anything's truly unbearable."

"I...You're right. I won't call her tonight," Kanae conceded.

Yashiro gave her a small smile and held her phone out for her. "It's nice to see you so concerned for her."

Kanae took the phone from his hands and sighed. "I just can't stand her always helping everyone else and keeping all her own worries bottled up inside herself. I'm supposed to be her best friend, but she couldn't tell me what had been going on between her and Tsuruga-san. Do you know she came up with a lie at the Lotus in the Mire auditions when I asked her why she was so distraught after talking with Morizumi Kimiko about Tsuruga-san? She told me that Amamiya-san had feelings for Tsuruga-san but that Tsuruga-san was in love with Morizumi-san and that she was worried it would affect Amamiya-san's acting as Yumika in Box R. I had a suspicion back then about her feelings for Tsuruga-san, but I became almost certain after seeing her reaction to that picture of Kana Kusunoki kissing Tsuruga-san. I could tell she was deeply troubled by the picture, even after Tsuruga-san disproved it, but when I asked her about it, she would always avoid the question. She must not trust me enough to tell me her troubles."

"I don't think that's true, Kotonami-san. Kyoko-chan has never been surrounded by people who truly cared about her until recently. She wouldn't have been able to talk to anyone about her troubles before, so she must have learned to keep them to herself. It's not your fault. I'm sure that Kyoko-chan is just scared of unloading her burdens onto you since they'll unnecessarily trouble you. She's selfless like that."

"Mo, I just wish I could be there for her."

"I'm sure Kyoko-chan knows you're there for her when she needs it. You just have to wait until she's ready to talk to you about it. The time will come eventually," Yashiro smiled encouragingly.

…

Kyoko found herself lying down stiff in the bed as she felt Ren's warmth beside her. After all that she had been through today, something this small shouldn't have fazed her. She turned to look at Ren and found that he was sleeping with a content smile on his face. His bangs fell into his eyes, and Kyoko found herself itching to take a picture of the sight. It wasn't fair that he could be so handsome, even when he was sleeping.

It also wasn't fair that he could fall asleep so easily when Kyoko found herself unable to feel even a little tired. How would she deal with this for the rest of the week?

Kyoko rolled over to peek at the beside clock. 12:47 A.M. How long had she been lying here already? Why couldn't she just drift off to sleep?! Kyoko couldn't stifle her groan of displeasure at her insomnia.

"Mmm?" Kyoko heard Ren mumble in his sleep. Fearing that she had woken him up, Kyoko immediately stiffened. When she didn't hear any other sound or movement, Kyoko slowly turned towards Ren and was relieved to see that he was still sound asleep.

Kyoko tried to process everything that had happened that day. To think that she had been avoiding him like the plague just this morning and then ended up sleeping right next to him with their issues almost completely resolved. However, she still felt a little hurt from him lying to her about being a fairy. So what if he lov-liked her like she liked him? That didn't excuse his actions.

Right now, Kyoko held all the cards. She could choose to forgive him, but then what? Would she even be able to trust him ever again after he had lied to her? Sure he had confessed, but what was preventing him from falling for someone better than her and leaving her? Kyoko really didn't know what to do. She was so scared. Of the future, of what this all meant now for her relationship with Ren. It had been so much easier to ignore him these past few months instead of confronting him. It was so much easier to just run away.

Ren's foot shifted, and Kyoko felt a jolt of electricity as it brushed against her own. She scooted away so that she was almost at the end of the bed. Sleep. That's what she needed right now. Any sleep at all. She could deal with all of this in the morning. Right now she just had to focus her energy on sleep.

...

Kyoko only got a few hours of sleep, but when she woke up, she found that the place on the bed beside her was empty. She sat up, groggily looking around the room for where Ren had gone to. His bag was still in the room, so that meant he hadn't run away from her during the night.

Kyoko's ears picked up the sound of water running for a few seconds before the noise stopped. Ah. So he had just finished a shower. Kyoko stood up from bed, gathering some clothes from her bag that she would change into for today. She heard the door to the bathroom open, and Kyoko turned around to say good morning to Ren.

"Good mor..." Kyoko began to say but stopped as she saw that Ren was only wearing a towel around his waist. His toned chest was still wet, and Kyoko could see droplets of water dripping from his hair down his chest and into the towel. At that moment, Kyoko realized exactly where her eyes had wandered, and she looked up to see that Ren had seen where her gaze went as well. She yelped and turned away from him as she covered her eyes with her hands. She heard him approach her, but she kept her eyes trained away from him.

"Good morning, Kyoko."

"G-Good morning!" Kyoko squeaked out, still not looking at him.

"Kyoko?"

"Yes?"

"Could I move past you to get my clothes from my bag?"

Kyoko peeked out from behind her hands to see that she was standing in the way, although she refrained from looking up. She shuffled to the side, allowing Ren to pass by her.

"I'm a bit surprised that you're flustered over something like this, considering all that happened between Cain and Setsu..." Ren smirked as he rummaged through his bag. Kyoko blushed, remembering that shower incident and especially that night she had given Cain a hickey.

"Th-That was different! We were in character!"

"Of course," Ren chuckled, brushing past her with a handful of clothes. He disappeared into the bathroom and came out 20 seconds later, fully-clothed with the towel wrapped around his neck. Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief and took her hands away from her eyes, although there was still a hint of her blush on her cheeks.

"Tomorrow wasn't a dream, was it? Everything you said yesterday still holds?" Kyoko wondered.

"And what is it that I said yesterday?" Ren smiled teasingly.

"Y-You told me about your past and your reasons behind the kiss at Guam..."

"Ah. Yes, everything I said yesterday is still true. Especially the part when I said I'm in love with you."

Kyoko's reaction to those words hadn't toned down from yesterday. They still made her into a blabbering mess. "W-what..."

"I'm so relieved to be able to say it out in the open now," Ren smiled.

"B-But your reputation...if you say that you l-love me, then wouldn't that hurt your fanbase?" Kyoko wondered.

"If I could only have either a relationship with you or have popularity, then I would choose my relationship with you every time."

"R-Relationship?!"

"Well other than the act that we're putting on as husband and wife on this tour, I was hoping that we could try dating after the tour is over."

Kyoko's heart began to furiously palpitate, but she was reminded of the inhibitions she had been struggling with before she fell asleep. "I'm not exactly sure if I can trust you, let alone date you, Tsuruga-san."

The effect was instantaneous. All of the hope that had shown in Ren's eyes immediately faded away, and his smile fell. "What do you mean you can't trust me? I promised that I wouldn't lie to you anymore, Kyoko. I thought you loved me back?"

Kyoko's cheeks reddened at the confirmation of her feelings from Ren's lips, but she had to stay focused. "You've been lying to me for more than ten years. Even though I now know the true reason behind the lies, how am I supposed to believe anything you ever say again? How am I supposed to believe that you won't just leave me when someone better comes along-"

"I will never leave you for someone else."

"That's what I thought about Shotaro, but he proved me wrong."

"I'm not him. I love you, Kyoko. I would never leave you like he did."

"You know, even though my father loved my mother, he left her in the end. The only reason he ever dated her in the first place was to steal the files to a high-profile case for a rival law firm. He lied to her about everything: his job, his family, even his real name. My mother had no idea, and once he got what he wanted, he left her, not even knowing that she was pregnant. He might have tried to warn her, but he still left her in the end. Love doesn't mean that you'll be honest."

"Kyoko, I know I hid my real name from you before, but yesterday I told you everything. I bared my soul to you. I won't hide anything about myself from you ever again. I never meant to hurt you by lying."

"But you did."

The two stood at an impasse as Kyoko's words hit Ren like a truck. Ren tried to open his mouth to retort, but he knew that there was nothing he could respond with to fix the situation. He had hurt her. Nothing he could do would change the past.

"I'm sorry," Ren responded finally, not knowing what else to say. "How can I prove to you that I'm going to be honest to you from now on? I'll do anything. I'll prove it to the whole world if you want me to, Kyoko. No more lies."

Kyoko's eyes widened in shock at Ren's implications. Was he truly willing to reveal his identity to the world just so that she would trust him again? "No, you don't have to do that until you're ready. Do it on your own terms, not mine," Kyoko assured him.

"Kyoko, I love you more than anything else in the world. I want to earn your trust back. Please give me a chance."

Kyoko couldn't help her blush from his heartfelt words. She really wanted to believe in him, but there was a nagging doubt in the back of her head. What if he left her just like Sho? She didn't know if she would be able to survive that if Ren suddenly fell in love with someone else and left her.

"I'm scared..." Kyoko mumbled, wrapping her arms around herself. "What if it happens again?" Kyoko said out loud before a set of warm arms embraced her.

"I promise that I will never leave you. I will not lie to you again. I'm not like Fuwa, and I'm not like your father. Please give me a chance to prove it to you, Kyoko," Ren mumbled against her hair. Kyoko's last bit of resistance fell, and she leaned into his embrace. She would take this risk and give love another chance. But only because it was him.

"Fine. We can try, but on a few conditions," Kyoko relented. She looked up to see Ren sporting a wide grin.

"What are the conditions?"

"The first condition is that there's no more lies between us."

"Done."

"The second is that if we have a disagreement, then we have to talk it out civilly and make sure we both have a true understanding of the situation."

"I can definitely agree to that."

"The last condition is that I get to make my final decision at the end of this trip. If I decide that I'm not cut out for love... then there's no hard feelings between us, and we stay as friends."

"What do you mean you want to make a final decision at the end of the trip?"

"Exactly what I said."

"Kyoko, a week isn't long enough to decide whether or not it's worth pursuing a relationship-"

"If we can't even last a week together, then I don't want to devote more time to a failed relationship. These are the conditions. Do you accept or not?"

Ren sighed and ran his hands through his wet hair but managed a small smile. "Fine. I accept them."

Kyoko smiled back at him, but suddenly a loud grumbling sound echoed through the room.

"It seems you're hungry. Do you want to get breakfast? I think there's a breakfast buffet that comes with the room," Ren offered.

"Sure, let me just get changed and then we can go," Kyoko said, ducking into the bathroom to put on her clothes and freshen up. Once she was done, she went back into the bedroom to see Ren sporting a baseball cap and sunglasses as a disguise. He was currently sitting on one of the lounge chairs and looking out the window at beautiful Mt. Fuji.

"Ready to go?" Kyoko asked, causing Ren to turn his attention to her. He smiled and stood up from his seat, and Kyoko felt a bit guilty at having interrupted his sightseeing.

"Oh, I saw that you were looking at Mt, Fuji, so if you still want a few minutes to admire its beauty..." Kyoko began to say.

"It's fine. We can go to breakfast now. At least there, I can look at a beautiful lady instead," Ren teased.

"A beautiful lady? Who is it?" Kyoko wondered with a frown, convinced that Ren was already looking at other women.

"You," Ren replied, causing Kyoko to blush.

"I'm not beautiful..." Kyoko argued.

"From my eyes, you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Kyoko reddened even more. She was definitely not used to Ren saying such things to her.

"L-Let's go to b-breakfast!" Kyoko stammered, practically bolting out of the door. Ren followed behind her, chuckling along the way.

...

When Kyoko and Ren reached the breakfast buffet, they were led to a table for two next to a window which gave a magnificent view of Mt. Fuji. As Kyoko looked around the restaurant, she saw many of the couples who were also on their tour eating breakfast.

Kyoko headed to the breakfast buffet and loaded up her plate with food before heading back to the table. There, she found Ren with a cup of black coffee.

"Tsuruga-san..." Kyoko narrowed her eyes at him. Ren seemed to ignore her as he continued to sip his coffee.

"Tsuruga-san! Why didn't you get any real food?" Kyoko repeated herself.

"Kyoko, what did I say about calling me Tsuruga-san?" Ren narrowed his eyes at her in a similar fashion.

"Don't change the subject! You have to eat breakfast! It's the most important meal of the day! You can't just drink coffee and expect to make it through the day!" Kyoko lectured him on proper eating habits.

"Most days, I only drink coffee in the mornings, and I seem to get through the day just fine."

"Kuon, at least eat something with sustinence," Kyoko ordered, frowning as she held out a piece of toast for him that she had been planning on eating herself. Ren leaned forward and reluctantly ripped her toast in half to eat it. Once he had finished the toast, Kyoko scooped up some of the eggs on her plate with her fork, holding out the fork for Ren to take in his own hand, but instead Ren clamped his mouth around the fork.

"K-Kuon!" Kyoko exclaimed, a rising blush forming on her cheeks. Ren only smiled as he slowly chewed the food.

"If you want me to eat properly, then what better way than to just feed it to me?"

"Who knew you could be such a child?" Kyoko mumbled quietly, although Ren heard what she said. When she saw a teasing grin appear on Ren's face, she immediately wanted to take back what she had said.

"I think you know exactly how childish I can be, Kyoko. You were the one to act as me when my dad came to Japan."

Kyoko's face immediately reddened, and she hid her face in her hands in embarrassment. "I can't believe I acted like Kuon in front of the real Kuon."

"To be fair, you were very accurate in your portrayal. I acted like that a lot when I was around ten years old."

"Well I _did_ get my inspiration from Corn…"

"You must have connected the dots unconsciously before I even told you," Ren chuckled. Kyoko lifted her head out of her hands and picked up her fork to continue eating, avoiding Ren's gaze. She brought a forkful of eggs to her mouth.

"Kyoko?" Ren asked, wondering why she had become so quiet all of a sudden.

"I'm sorry I couldn't see it before. It must have been pretty funny watching me act like a fool when I didn't know it was actually you," Kyoko spat out sarcastically.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it like that. I wasn't laughing at you. When you acted as Kuon for my father, it was actually really nostalgic for me to watch. I haven't been able to act childish like that for a long time since I was constantly concerned about how my actions would affect my reputation and my parents' reputation after that. It's only around you that I feel that I can really bring that part of me out again. I only laughed because I was trying to joke around, but I guess I took that a little too far, and I'm sorry."

Kyoko's anger dissipated, and her eyes softened at how open Ren had been. "No, I'm sorry for assuming the worst of you. I should already know that you weren't trying to make fun of me for not knowing your identity after everything that you told me yesterday."

Ren smiled at her and rested one of his hands on her hand which was holding her fork. Kyoko felt a jolt go through her spine at the contact, but she didn't move her hand away.

"So does that mean you'll feed me now like the child I am?" Ren asked sheepishly.

Kyoko couldn't stop the laugh that erupted from her. "At least you're a cute child."

Now it was Ren's turn to blush.

* * *

**Ah, conflict being resolved. Now that Kyoko and Ren have finally put everything out in the open, they'll be able to have fun on their trip together. **

**Also, time to cross shirtless Ren off my to-do list! I really enjoyed writing that scene. Now I only have to include a jealous Kyoko and the final kiss to fulfill the requirements of this challenge. It would be easy to do that all next chapter if I really wanted to, but this is only the beginning of Kyoko and Ren's trip together. I can't wait to begin writing the fluff overload for the next couple of chapters now that the primary conflict has been resolved :). **


	9. Chapter 9

Somehow, Kyoko found herself feeding Ren like a child. At least in this way she could keep track of how much he was eating. Surprisingly, Ren finished all of the food that she gave him until her own plate was emptied. Kyoko was about to get more food before Ren grabbed her arm.

"Wait. I really don't need more food. I'm stuffed," Ren looked at her in fear. Kyoko couldn't stop her laugh at how scared he looked.

"Don't worry. I think you've eaten enough for breakfast. I just need to get more food for myself," Kyoko said before yawning. She really didn't get enough sleep last night with Ren sleeping next to her. Ren raised an eyebrow as he noticed her yawn but didn't comment on it, instead adopting a teasing glint in his eyes once again.

"Would you like me to feed you as you fed me?"

Kyoko blushed. "I-I'm fine!" She squeaked before pulling her hand out of Ren's grasp and returning to the buffet table. She grabbed some more traditional Japanese breakfast fare before hearing someone call her name.

"Kyoko-chan!"

Kyoko turned in the direction of the voice to see Mari waving at her from her own table. Kyoko smiled tiredly and went over to greet her friend.

"Good morning!" Mari greeted her.

"Mari-san, good morning," Kyoko greeted her, although her usual pep was not so prominent this morning after her lack of sleep last night.

"Kyoko-chan, did you follow my advice yesterday?"

"I did. Thank you so much for your advice! It's thanks to you that Kuon and I were able to make up," Kyoko smiled before Yumi saw her and hurried over.

"Kyoko-chan! Are you alright? We heard you and Kuon shouting at each other on the bus yesterday and were worried," Yumi asked immediately.

"Yeah, we're fine. I'm sorry for causing a disturbance. After dinner, we talked and cleared up everything," Kyoko replied, yawning again.

"Kyoko-chan, did you not get a good sleep?" Mari wondered.

"Uh...K-Kuon kept me up for a long time," Kyoko replied truthfully since she had been unable to fall asleep as she kept thinking of how close Ren had been sleeping to her. Kyoko darkened in a blush remembering how handsome Ren looked even as he slept.

"Ah. Nothing like a good make-out session after making up," Yumi winked at her. Kyoko's blush turned to a bright, tomato red, and she waved her hands furiously to dispel the idea.

"N-No! Th-That's not what we did-" Kyoko began to say before realizing that denying Yumi's assumption wouldn't make much sense if Kyoko was supposed to be Ren's wife.

"It's okay, Kyoko-chan. You're on your honeymoon after all," Mari laughed. Kyoko blushed even more.

"I-I really should get back to Kuon. He'll be wondering what's taking me so long."

"See you later then, Kyoko-chan. The bus is going to pick up everyone at 10 for a sightseeing tour of Mt. Fuji. Make sure to load your luggage onto the bus before then since we'll drive directly to our next destination afterwards. We'll see you then," Mari waved goodbye. Kyoko nodded excitedly and returned to Ren who was sipping a cup of black coffee while reading his phone with a frown. Kyoko set her plate down and began to eat, watching as Ren sighed.

"What's wrong?" Kyoko wondered, alerting Ren of her presence since he had been so engrossed in his phone. He quickly turned the phone off and set it down on the table.

"Just some unwanted text messages," Ren replied. Seconds later, the phone lit up with a new message, but Ren shut off the screen before Kyoko could see who was texting him.

"So you're still filming Lotus in the Mire, right?" Ren asked, trying to steer her attention away from his phone. Kyoko found it odd but nodded.

"Have you started any new projects over the past few months?" Ren wondered.

"Between Box R and Lotus in the Mire, I really don't have much time for anything else. I did a commercial for a jewelry company about a month ago, but that's pretty much it. Sawara-san gave me a few more offers, but I haven't had the time to look them over yet. How about you?"

"Other than some modeling shoots for RMandy, I've been taking on less projects recently. I haven't taken any new acting jobs since Tragic Marker."

"Ehhhh? Why not?!"

"Well actually...I got a few offers for roles in America."

Knowing that Ren was actually Kuon Hizuri and that he had tried all this time to make a name of himself without his father's help, it seemed that he was close to reaching his goal. Kyoko couldn't help the smile that blossomed on her face.

"That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you! What kind of offers have you received? Which ones are you thinking of taking?" Kyoko asked excitedly.

"That's the problem. I'm not sure if I want to take any of them," Ren sighed. Kyoko tilted her head to the side in confusion.

"What do you mean? Isn't it your dream to go back home to Hollywood? Are the offers themselves not good?"

"No, they're actually very good offers. It's just...I never really considered California my home. In fact, I didn't even feel like I had a home anywhere. Home is where you go to feel safe and loved, but my life in California was the complete opposite of that. I was constantly discriminated against for my heritage as a child, and when I got involved in gangs as a teenager, my parents were barely home with how busy they were. During my early childhood, I think I might have been able to classify it as my home, but I can't anymore. And if I go back now, I'm not even sure if I'll even be able to stomach seeing some of the locations where...Rick..." Ren tried to swallow the lump that had appeared in his throat. He unconsciously clenched his right wrist, even though his watch had moved to his left.

"You're right that my dream was to return to America on my own volition, but I never felt like I belonged in America. I don't know if I really want to go back anymore... Japan is my home now."

"I think I can understand that feeling. I can say that the Fuwa ryokan was where I lived during my childhood, but it was never a place where I felt loved or secure. I couldn't call it my home. But when I moved to Tokyo and started to live at the Darumaya with the Okami and Taisho... I felt like it was what I had always dreamed a home would be like," Kyoko smiled.

"I'm happy you found a place like that for yourself," Ren smiled, although Kyoko could detect a hint of sadness behind his eyes.

Kyoko felt a bit awkward. She knew that Ren had been not only been separated from America for many years but also from his parents. Here she was talking about her own 'home' when Ren didn't really have one. He didn't have a home in the sense that he could return to a place where he felt loved and cared for.

"K-Kuon," Kyoko blushed, still not used to addressing him in this way.

"Yes?"

"I just want you to know that even if I'm not cut out for love, I will always be here for you. I want to be someone who you can feel safe with and can be yourself around. I-I want you to feel like you have a home."

Ren opened his mouth in surprise before a soft smile graced his features. Ren grabbed her hand from across the table and clutched it in his own. "Thank you, Kyoko-chan. The same offer is extended to you as well," Ren said, bringing her knuckles up to his lips so that he could place a soft kiss on them. Kyoko's blush spread from head to toe, and she quickly pulled her hand out of Ren's grasp and picked up her fork.

"Thank you..." Kyoko mumbled with a blush before digging into her breakfast.

...

Once they had finished breakfast, Kyoko and Ren returned to their hotel room to grab some items that they would need for the day and to pack their bags. When Ren was finished packing, he donned a hat and sunglasses to mask his identity before the two set out to the bus. It was a relatively short drive to their destination.

As the tour group got off of the bus, Kyoko looked around to see tons of cute animal statues of tanuki and rabbits. She cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"Mari-san, why are there so many tanuki and rabbit statues around here?" Kyoko wondered. Mari turned to address the whole group.

"Around Mt. Fuji, there's a folktale about the tanuki and rabbits. In the story, a man caught a troublesome tanuki in his fields and tied it to a tree so that he could cook it later. When the man left for town, the tanuki begged the man's wife to set it free, promising that he would help her in her cooking. When she freed the tanuki however, it turned on her and killed her. The tanuki then used its shapeshifting abilities to disguise itself as the wife and cooked a soup with her flesh which she served to the man. The tanuki then revealed its trick by reverting back to its original appearance, leaving the man in shock and grief. However, the couple had been good friends with a nearby rabbit who approached the man and said it would avenge his wife's death. The rabbit played lots of tricks on the tanuki such as dropping a bee's nest on the tanuki's head, which is why so many of the statues show the rabbit bullying the tanuki. In particular, after setting fire to the tanuki's load of wood, the tanuki didn't notice it immediately and asked the rabbit what the sound was. The rabbit replied that the sound was 'Kachi-kachi yama', which is why this ropeway is named Kachi-Kachi Yama Ropeway."

"Oh…" Kyoko tapped her finger to her chin in thought.

Mari strayed from the group to collect the tickets, and then the honeymooners climbed up the steps to the boarding platform of the ropeway. Kyoko thought the cable cars looked very cute with the bright colors and little characters sitting on the top of the car.

"I've heard the view from the top is amazing."

Kyoko turned around to see Ren, and she realized that she had almost forgotten about him. Sometimes she was really too distracted. "Me too! Especially with all of the autumn leaves around Mt. Fuji! It's already one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen!" Kyoko replied.

"Is this your first time to Mt. Fuji?" Ren wondered. Kyoko nodded her head.

"I haven't really visited much of Japan except for Tokyo and Kyoto. I've visited Karuizawa for Dark Moon, but..." Kyoko trailed off as one of her demons sensed anger emanating from Ren. She feared that he had gotten mad at her.

"That experience was hardly a vacation for you..."

"A-Are you mad with me?" Kyoko stuttered out. Ren's anger dissipated, and he turned to Kyoko in confusion.

"Why would I be angry at you? What happened was not your fault. Although I wish that I could have been there to help you instead of Fuwa, I was just happy that you were safe. If anything like that ever happens again though, call me, and I'll do whatever I can to come help."

"Th-Thank you..." Kyoko smiled.

Kyoko and Ren reached the front of the line and were ushered onto a gondola with three other couples from their tour group. Although the other couples were quick to take out their phones for photos as the gondola began to move, Kyoko was fine with just admiring the scenery. She looked over to Ren to find that he was looking at something on his phone, just like earlier at breakfast. However, when he caught her watching him, he gracefully slipped his phone into his pocket and offered her a smile. Kyoko found that very suspicious.

Why was Ren so glued to his phone today? Kyoko's overactive imagination was imagining the worst possible explanations for his behavior. What if he was texting another girl, telling her how annoyed he was having to spend a whole week with her? Or worse, what if he was messaging Kana-san, asking for her to rescue him? Kyoko shook her head violently to dismiss those thoughts from her head. No, she could trust Ren. He had revealed _everything_ to her last night. He wasn't like Sho, right?

An overhead voice began to explain facts about the ropeway and about Mt. Fuji itself for the short ride up the mountain. From the gondola, Kyoko could see the beauty of Lake Kawaguchi framed by autumn colors. When the gondola arrived at the top, Ren got out first and held his hand out for her. Kyoko instinctively took it and realized that it was almost as if he was treating her like a princess.

"Thank you," Kyoko blushed.

"No problem," Ren smiled back. When she was expecting him to release her hand, she was surprised to see that he didn't. Ren led her to the exit where they waited for the rest of the tour group to reach the top.

"Is there something going on? I didn't think you were one to check your phone so often," Kyoko wondered. Ren sighed.

"Boss keeps messaging me."

"Boss?"

"President Takarada. He keeps trying to ask me if I've mended my relationship with you, but I haven't responded yet, so he keeps harassing me. Sometimes that man is just too nosy. He just asked me whether or not we've kissed yet," Ren groaned. Kyoko's cheeks darkened in a blush.

"Oh! Haha, for some reason I thought you might be texting a girl like Kusenoki-san..." Kyoko laughed nervously. Ren frowned.

"Why would I be texting her? Haven't I already told you that you're the one who I love? I'm not a playboy. I guess you really don't trust me though," Ren hung his head like a sad puppy, unconsciously dropping her hand.

"I'm sorry! I guess it's a bit hard to get used to..." Kyoko apologized, panicking over the distress she had just caused Ren.

"Hello again everyone!" Mari greeted them as she got off from the ropeway, unaware of the sudden tension between Kyoko and Ren.

"Now that we're at the top of Mt. Tenjo, I'm going to let you all walk around at your own pace, and we will meet back here in an hour. At the top of Mt. Tenjo, there's a shop called Tanuki Tea House where you can buy something to eat or drink. Just outside the tea house, there's a little stand where you can buy small clay dishes called Kawarake. There's a small wooden gate that you can throw these clay dishes through, which is said to ward off evil. Lastly, I encourage you all to visit the Bell of Tenjo. It's said that your wish will come true if you ring the bell, so lots of couples will ring the bell to wish for love and health. The path is pretty straightforward, but if you have specific questions about the area just let me know. Make sure to take some photos of Mt. Fuji! We're lucky that it's not covered by clouds today!"

The other couples began to wander away, so Kyoko started walking without aim, lost in her thoughts. Why did she have to say that earlier? It was one thing to have insecurities that she wasn't pretty enough for Ren to love, but when she had voiced those insecurities, she had hurt him. It wasn't really because she thought that he was a playboy, but because of her own insecurities that made her believe that he would one day fall out of love with her and find someone else. After all, everyone had said that Ren and Kana looked like a couple that went well together when that scandal had surfaced. Kyoko looked like a child in comparison to someone like Kana.

"K-Kuon..." Kyoko said suddenly, turning back to see that Ren had followed her. For some reason, it was a relief to see him standing behind her.

"I'm sorry about what I said earlier about you texting Kana. It's not because I don't trust you. I know you're not actually a playboy. I just can't get used to the idea that you actually like...me. I mean, I'm nowhere near as beautiful as women like Kana."

"Are you saying you were jealous?" Ren asked, shocked.

"I'm just a plain and boring woman with no sex appeal."

"That's Fuwa talking. I wish you knew how you look in my eyes," Ren's eyes softened as he brought a finger to caress her cheek.

"You're the most beautiful woman I've ever met. You're not plain or boring, and you definitely have sex appeal," Ren added, a glint of the Emperor in his eyes.

"E-Ehh?" Kyoko unknowingly took a step back in shock. Ren gave her a small smirk before dissolving in laughter.

"I'm sorry for laughing, but I can't help it at your reaction to that statement," Ren laughed.

"Kuon," Kyoko pouted, trying to stop the upturning of her lips at his laughter. It wasn't often that Kyoko heard Ren laugh, but his laugh was infectious, and Kyoko couldn't help her own laugh.

"Why don't we look around?" Ren smiled, holding out his hand for her to take. With a slight reddening of her cheeks, Kyoko took his hand as he led her up the mountain towards the tea house. They came across the booth selling clay discs and saw a few couples trying to throw the discs through a small wooden gate.

"Would you like to try?" Ren asked her. Kyoko figured that it couldn't hurt and nodded, shifting through her bag to find her wallet. However, when she finally found some money to pay for the discs, she found that Ren had already bought a disc for both of them.

"You didn't have to buy it for me..."

"I wanted to," Ren replied with a smile. With that grin on his face, Kyoko couldn't find it in herself to be angry with him and hesitatingly took a clay disc from his hand. Kyoko tossed it around in her hand, testing its weight and determining how hard she needed to throw the disc and where to aim to have it pass through the wooden gate.

Kyoko drew her arm back and threw the disc towards the gate; however, she missed the gate by a few centimeters. Kyoko grumbled. She had been so close!

"Would you like to try again?" Ren asked, offering her the other disc in his hand.

"B-But that's _your_ disc. I already had a chance, so you should too."

"I bought a second disc in case you wanted another try, so how about we throw it together?"

"Together? What do you mean?" Kyoko wondered. Ren smiled and held the disc out to her. Kyoko automatically took the disc and softly gasped as Ren came to her back, placing his hand around her own. Kyoko's breathing quickened as she felt the warmth of Ren's chest against her back.

"Ready?" Ren asked. Kyoko nodded and focused on the wooden gate in front of them. As Ren's hand drew hers back, Kyoko released the disc from her hand as their conjoined hands came forward again. This time, the disc flew straight threw the center of the wooden gate. Kyoko laughed and jumped up in victory.

"We did it!" Kyoko exclaimed, turning her head to look at Ren over her shoulder. He smiled at her excitement. She was just too cute.

* * *

**I'm going to count this chapter as fulfilling the challenge's condition that Kyoko has to be jealous. I did lots of research about Mt. Fuji for this chapter, so it took a while to come out. I hope you enjoyed the first of many fluff-filled chapters :).**


	10. Chapter 10

**Wow it's been a long time since I last posted an update to this story. I hope you all had a happy new year (even though it was more than a month ago)! **

* * *

Mari felt a sudden buzzing in her pocket. She took out her phone to see that she was getting a phone call. It was good timing. Mari had an hour to herself, so she didn't have to worry about a phone call conflicting with her work.

"Hello?"

_"Mari-chan."_

"Ah, Kanae-chan, how are you?" Mari replied, recognizing the voice as her cousin's.

_"Tired. Mo, our tour guide made us walk for such a long time today, and we're still not done!"_

"Where did you walk around?"

_"Mt. Fuji."_

"Oh really? We're at Mt. Fuji too! Are you visiting the Kachi-Kachi Yama Ropeway?"

_"I don't think so."_

"Aw, that's too bad. That's where we are now. You know I love talking with you, Kanae-chan, but it isn't like you to call me out of the blue. What's up?"

_"Can you tell me how Kyoko and her h-husband are doing?"_

"Well...they had a yelling match on the bus yesterday, but I talked with Kyoko-chan afterwards and advised her on how to resolve her dispute with Kuon-kun. This morning, they seemed to have made up. It's cute that you're concerned about your friend. If you want, I can send you a picture of them sometime," Mari smiled.

_"Mo, I didn't ask you to assess my motivations for calling you. If there's nothing wrong anymore, then I don't need to hear anything else…But if you want to send me a picture of them, I won't stop you."_

"Okay, Kanae-chan. Have a nice trip," Mari said.

"Bye," Kanae replied, ending the call. She turned to Lory who was shaking his head at her. They were currently sitting in the lobby of their hotel, waiting for the rest of the tour group to meet up.

"Mo, you contacted them first! Since you already did that, I'm allowed to call my cousin!" Kanae exclaimed.

"Well since it's already done, what did you learn?" Lory asked, almost a bit too eagerly.

"I learned some pretty interesting information, but it comes at a price."

"I know I might act lenient sometimes, but remember that I am your boss. You don't want to blackmail me."

"It's not blackmail. I just have a simple question. Who's Kuon?"

...

After their mutual success at the clay disc throwing, Kyoko and Ren made their way to the Bell of Tenjo. There was quite a large crowd waiting to take pictures next to it, so Kyoko and Ren got in line to wait for their chance to ring the bell. Kyoko's eyes wandered to Ren's left wrist where his watch now sat.

"Corn?" Kyoko tested the name on her lips. She looked up at Ren and felt her heart pounding. It was still difficult for her to associate the two as the same person.

"Yes?" Ren replied, his grin just a bit wider at her use of the name.

"I thought you used to wear your watch on your right hand. After Guam, I noticed you start wearing it on your left hand instead."

Ren raised his left hand to look at his watch, the hands still unmoving. "I used to wear this watch on my right hand as a shackle. I wore it as a reminder of my guilt for what I had done to Rick. It was supposed to keep me under control. I moved the watch to my left hand after Guam."

"Why?"

"I finally felt confident that I wouldn't go berserk and hurt someone again. I didn't need to wear the handcuff on my right hand anymore. Instead of being trapped by the past, I suddenly began to look forward to the future," Ren smiled.

"What changed?"

"My curse was broken by true love's kiss," Ren smirked. Kyoko immediately flushed red in a blush and averted her eyes from Ren's angelic smile, embarrassed by his words.

"Oh, we're at the front of the line now!" Kyoko exclaimed as the couple in front of them finished taking a picture, trying to soothe the warmth in her cheeks. Kyoko caught the attention of a nearby lady and asked if she could take a picture of Ren and her. The lady happily agreed, and Kyoko went to stand by Ren in front of the Bell of Tenjo.

Ren grabbed the rope of the bell and motioned for Kyoko to do the same. Kyoko grabbed the rope and smiled towards the camera. Once she heard the shutter of the camera and had retrieved her phone from the kind lady, Kyoko looked to see how the picture had turned out. Ren and her were both smiling at the camera, with Mt. Fuji visible in the middle of the heart frame in which the Bell of Tenjo sat. Kyoko was relieved that her cheeks weren't too red in the picture. You couldn't even tell she had been blushing unless you looked closely.

"Kyoko, don't you want to ring the bell together before we leave?" Ren wondered. Kyoko nodded her head and grabbed the rope of the bell along with Ren, and together they sounded the bell.

"To love and health," Ren announced.

"To lov…health!" Kyoko exclaimed. Ren chuckled at her energetic response.

Kyoko looked at the time on her phone to see that they still had a good fifteen minutes left before they had to meet with the rest of the tour group.

"I told you that you couldn't lie to me again. True love's kiss didn't break your curse," Kyoko pouted, resuming their conversation from earlier.

"You don't believe in true love's kiss?"

"True love doesn't exist," Kyoko stated resolutely, albeit a bit sadly. She had believed in true love before, but she had come to face reality after Sho had thrown her away. Kyoko didn't even know if she was capable of regular love, not to mention true love. That part of her had died the day she learned of Sho's betrayal. Soulmates didn't exist.

"Even if true love doesn't exist, you're still the reason why I was able to forgive myself for what happened and start moving forward," Ren said.

"M-Me?! How did I do that?!"

"Just by being yourself. For years, various people have tried to help me overcome my darkness, but it wasn't until I met you again that I had enough courage to face my past head on and come out on top."

"You can't just say something like that so casually," Kyoko blushed. Ugh. How did this man make her cheeks warm up so often?

"But it's the truth. We said that we would only tell each other the truth from now on," Ren smiled.

"But you're elevating me to this savior status when I'm really not that infallible."

"Hmmm, I wonder why that sounds so familiar? Someone did that to me as well," Ren stared pointedly at her.

"Ah…Y-You're right. I'm sorry, I didn't know how you felt about me putting you on a pedestal as my senpai."

"As long as we're both done putting each other on pedestals that the other can't reach?" Ren asked. Kyoko nodded in agreement.

...

"I'm afraid I don't know who you're talking about, Kotonami-san," Lory responded, his face not betraying any fear or nervousness.

"My cousin said that Kyoko was married to a man named Kuon."

"She must have made up the name on the spot to avoid giving away Ren's identity," Lory responded. Kanae eyed him questioningly but seemed to accept his explanation. Lory let out the tension from his shoulders.

"She said that they had a yelling match on the bus yesterday, but they seemed to have made up this morning," Kanae told Lory.

"Splendid! I was worried when Ren wasn't answering any of my messages!"

"Look, you're not supposed to get in touch with them at all! That could have put the whole plan in jeopardy!" Kanae growled.

"How could I have known if you and Yashiro-san never included me in your plans?" Lory whimpered like a sad puppy.

"Mo, we didn't include you in our plans since we knew you would take it to the extreme! It seems that they've finally reconciled, and I don't want you ruining their relationship again. You're not allowed to intervene."

"Its a little late for that."

"What do you mean?"

"Yesterday night I made a few calls. I tried to book us at the same hotel as your sister's tour group in Osaka, but the hotel was already booked out. Nevertheless, I was able to book us at the same hotel that they're staying at in Kyoto, so we'll be able to see them during the last few days of the trip."

At that moment, Yashiro arrived in the lobby and was able to quickly restrain Kanae before she attacked the meddling president.

...

When Kyoko and Ren met with the rest of the tour group and boarded the bus, Kyoko took out her phone to look at the picture of her and Ren again. She couldn't help but smile whenever she looked at the picture. Although Ren's face was partially obstructed by his hat and sunglasses, Kyoko could see the genuine grin he wore. She covered her mouth with her hand to yawn, still tired from her lack of sleep the night before.

"I wish I could have taken off the disguise," Ren commented, looking at the picture over her shoulder.

"Absolutely not. No one can know who you really are. Imagine what the press would say if they discovered that Ren Tsuruga was on a honeymooners tour around Japan with me."

"But someone already recognized you. What if the press find _you_ on this tour?"

"They won't follow me around. I'm not famous enough for that."

"Kyoko, do you know how popular A Lotus in the Mire is right now? I'm surprised that more people haven't recognized you yet. You should begin to wear a disguise in public as well. Here, I think I have an extra pair of sunglasses in my bag."

"You really don't have to go through such trouble..."

"You should wear a disguise."

"No, I really don't need one."

"I insist," Ren said, standing up to ask the driver to have access to the compartment storing everyone's luggage at the bottom of the bus.

"Wait! I have a pair in my bag already! I'll just put those on!" Kyoko grabbed his wrist and pulled him back down. She fished through her bag for her sunglasses as Ren smiled knowingly at her. She finally found her sunglasses and put them on.

"Better?" Kyoko quipped at him.

"Much," Ren smirked. Kyoko stuck her tongue out at him.

"That was an unladylike thing to do with your tongue," Ren chuckled.

"How else would I use my tongue?" Kyoko smirked. She didn't know what suddenly came over herself as she ran her tongue across her lips, drawing Ren's eyes down towards them. He tried to clear his throat.

"I know a few different ways you could use it..." Ren's gaze flitted back to her own, and Kyoko could see vestiges of the Emperor of the Night in his eyes. Instead of scaring her like the Emperor's appearance usually did, this time it seemed as if his appearance spurred her on.

"Are you implying that you're offering to teach me?" Kyoko smirked. Ren's eyes widened in shock at her flirtatious reply.

"I-If you really want me to…" Ren stuttered. He never tripped over his words like this! The power this woman had over him! Ren didn't even notice as he slowly inched his face closer and closer to Kyoko's.

"Who's ready for some lunch?" Mari's voice came over the bus speakers, bringing Ren out of his lust-filled daze. He immediately pulled away from Kyoko, realizing what he had almost done. He put a hand to his head, scooting closer to the window to put a distance between him and Kyoko.

"I'm sorry. I said I would be patient," Ren apologized.

"No! I'm sorry! I don't know what came over me! I shouldn't have done something like that!" Kyoko apologized back, her cheeks becoming red in a blush. She had definitely just flirted with him! Her! Kyoko Mogami! And it had almost worked! He had looked like he was almost about to kiss her!

"We'll be making a stop for lunch in a few minutes, and then we'll head to the Hakone Open Air Museum!" Mari's voice continued over the speaker.

"Kyoko, is it that you're not attracted to me? Is that why you don't want me to kiss you?" Ren wondered.

"EHHHH?! OF COURSE NOT! YOU'RE THE MOST ATTRACTIVE MAN I'VE EVER MET!" Kyoko practically yelled. The bus burst into laughter, and Kyoko's blush spread to her whole body. Even Ren was blushing from her comment, although it did give him a nice ego boost to know that she thought that highly about his appearance.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say that so loudly," Kyoko stood up to address the rest of the bus before sitting back down and covering her embarrassed face with her hands.

"You_ are_ attractive and any girl would be lucky to kiss you," Kyoko finally said quietly after a few seconds.

"But you don't want to."

"It's not that I don't want to!"

"Then what is it?"

"M-My lips are chapped!"

"Kyoko, you said we would be honest with each other..."

Kyoko hid her face in her hands and mumbled.

"What did you say?" Ren wondered.

"I don't want to disappoint you," Kyoko said more audibly. Ren thought he had heard incorrectly.

"Kyoko, you wouldn't disappoint me. I know that I might have some more experience than you, but I'm not joking when I say that I could teach-"

"No! That's not what I mean! I don't want to disappoint you because I'm still a little confused about my feelings..."

"Confused about your feelings?… I thought you loved me?"

"I know that I lov-like Ren Tsuruga, yes, but that's just a character, isn't it? I feel so horrible for saying this, but do I really know you?"

Ren was at a loss for words. How did you respond when someone you loved told you they didn't know you?

"I'm still not really sure who you really are. I know that you're Tsuruga-san and Kuon and Corn, but it's still hard for me to put those three people together. It would feel wrong for me to kiss you and lead you on when I'm still this confused. I'm still having a hard time accepting that you're all three of them."

"All three are just different names, but each one is a part of me, whether I like it or not."

"I know, but it'll still take some time for me to get used to it. It still feels weird to see you with Tsuruga-san's hair and Corn's green eyes."

"Should I put my contacts back in?"

"No, I didn't say it was bad... Actually, I really like your natural eyes. Not that your contacts look bad! Just, the green eyes are actually helping me a little with adjusting to this whole situation."

"What else can I do to help you adjust to this situation?"

"You don't have to do anything special. I think every moment I spend with you helps me piece the three names together. I mean, now I know how much a child you actually are."

"Hey, I'm not a child!"

Kyoko snorted with a laugh, and Ren fake-pouted at her.

"You can fool all of Japan, but not me. But that's okay because I like seeing your true self," Kyoko smiled.

"When did you know that Ren Tsuruga was just a character?" Ren wondered.

"Is that what you think? That Ren Tsuruga is only a character? Do I only like a character?"

"No! I mean, Ren Tsuruga is able to hide my bad qualities, but most of Ren Tsuruga's personality is mine."

"What parts of Ren Tsuruga are just an act?"

"For one, Ren Tsuruga is able to hide his anger a lot better than I can."

"I disagree. Ren Tsuruga's anger just manifests itself in different ways than normal. I think those gentlemanly smiles are even worse sometimes," Kyoko shuddered.

"You're scared of my smiles?"

"Only the sparkly smiles where I can tell you're extremely angry with me..."

Ren burst into laughter, and Kyoko smiled at his mirth. "I don't really like his gentlemanly smiles, but he's cute when he smiles like this," Kyoko thought to herself. Being sleep deprived, Kyoko didn't notice that she had said her thought aloud.

"You think I'm cute?" Ren wondered. Kyoko realized her blunder and a blush spread across her cheeks.

"Ahhh, look over there! Is that the restaurant we're eating at for lunch?" Kyoko suddenly pointed out the window. The bus came to a stop, and Kyoko thanked the universe for its impeccable timing. Trying to regain some of her composure after so many embarrassing outbursts, Kyoko stood up and hopped off the bus right as the doors opened. Ren followed her, and they entered the restaurant with the rest of the tour group.

...

Surprisingly, Ren ate most of his lunch without any prompting from Kyoko. She was still trying to get over her embarrassment from earlier, and she was grateful that Ren wasn't teasing her too much about it.

After lunch, the tour group re-boarded the bus and arrived at their next destination after a few minutes. As the tour group gathered around Mari outside the bus, she explained that they had arrived at the Hakone Open Air Museum.

"The Hakone Open Art Museum houses various sculptures in combination with views of the surrounding valley and mountains to create a harmonic balance of nature and art. It was first opened in 1966, and the park is over 70,000 square meters with over 120 works scattered throughout. Let's head inside," Mari beckoned them. The honeymooners followed her past the ticket booth since Mari had already bought tickets, and they stepped onto a descending escalator. Kyoko craned her neck to look out of the glass windows above them, allowing her a view of the hillside dotted with magical looking sculptures. When she stepped off the escalator, the first statue in front of the group seemed to be a man holding a bow and arrow.

"This piece is called Hercules, the Archer. It was made by Emile-Antoine Bourdelle, who wanted to modernize sculpture from its original Greek and Roman influences. The archer's arm is taut, and his muscle is flexed as he pulls at an invisible bowstring. Isn't he handsome?" Mari asked the group. Some of the ladies voiced their agreement, earning some grumbles from their husbands.

The group listened to Mari as they walked past a few more sculptures including an enormous stone head lying in water with hair made of leaves, a statue of a man leaping off a pegasus, and a ginormous gemstone installation which had kids crawling around inside. However, Kyoko's favorite piece of the entire museum was the Symphonic Sculpture by Gabriel Loire. It was an 18-meter tall circular steel tower surrounded by brightly colored stained glass. The group had entered the tower and ascended the narrow set of winding stairs, marveling at the incredible glasswork around them. There was a brilliant variety of all the colors of the rainbow, and Kyoko thought that it was absolutely breathtaking. Even Ren had agreed that the Symphonic Sculpture had been the most stunning display in the museum.

After about two hours of looking around the museum, the group returned to the bus. Kyoko let out a yawn as she finally sat down. They had walked a lot that day, and Kyoko was feeling her drowsiness take its toll on her. The vacation was nice, but it was certainly tiring.

"You seem to be tired today," Ren commented.

"I guess I didn't get enough sleep last night," Kyoko replied, yawning yet again as she said that sentence.

"Is it my fault?" Ren wondered.

"Yes…I mean NO!" Kyoko caught herself.

"Yes and no?"

"No!"

"I'm confused."

"I meant to say that it wasn't entirely your fault that I didn't get enough sleep."

"So it was still partially my fault? Do I snore during my sleep, or did I accidentally kick you?"

"No! Of course not!"

"Then what did I do? We still have a few more nights on this trip, so I want to make sure I let you have a good night's sleep."

"You're fine! It's fine! Don't worry about me! I just couldn't fall asleep, that's all!" Kyoko assured him. Ren wanted to keep prodding her but decided to put the matter to rest.

"We have a few hours until we reach Tokyo to take the Shinkansen. How about you take a short nap?" Ren suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea," Kyoko agreed. "Can you wake me up when we have to get off?"

"Of course," Ren responded. Kyoko smiled and closed her eyes, soon drifting off into dreamland. Ren put his headphones on and watched the scenery go by until he felt Kyoko's head slump against his shoulder. Not wanting to wake her, Ren tried to stay still, but he found that he was also feeling a bit tired. Ren closed his eyes, and he didn't notice when his cheek fell to rest on the top of her head. The two slept through the rest of the bus ride comfortably, and neither noticed the sly click of Mari's camera as she sent a picture of the sweet moment to Kanae.

…

Kyoko was the first to wake up as she felt a tap on her shoulder. However, instead of opening her eyes, Kyoko snuggled into the warmth next to her, her hand clutching the sleeve of the person next to her.

Wait…

Kyoko's eyes darted open, and she realized that she had been resting her head on Ren's shoulder this whole time! Not only that, but Ren had also fallen asleep and was resting his head on top of hers!

"Kyoko-chan, are you awake now?" Mari asked. Kyoko immediately moved her head away from Ren's shoulder, waking him up in the process.

"Y-Yes, I am!"

"We've arrived at Tokyo Station," Mari smiled. Kyoko thanked Mari for waking her up and stood up to collect her things. Ren did the same, and after they gathered their luggage from the bottom of the bus, they went to wait in the terminal with the rest of the couples.

"Sorry I didn't wake you up. I accidentally fell asleep as well," Ren apologized as they waited.

"No, it's fine. I guess I wasn't the only one that was tired," Kyoko replied, not mentioning how they had practically used each other as pillows. If Ren knew about it, he didn't acknowledge it.

"It's times like these when a sheep pillow would be useful. It's a shame that I forgot the pillow in my luggage under the bus."

Kyoko laughed, forgetting her embarrassment of waking up on his shoulder. Ren's eyes softened. He was glad that he was able to make her laugh and not feel bashful over finding out how they had slept.

* * *

**Ahh, good ol' Kyoko and Ren fluff. Seems as if Mari's also boarded the ship train. Next chapter, we get on the Shinkansen and make our way towards Osaka! Please let me know if you liked the chapter!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Have you ever been on the Shinkansen before, Kuon?" Kyoko wondered.

"A few times. I've had to use it to quickly get to modeling shoots around Japan. How about you?"

"This will be my first time!"

"Your first time? I had assumed you used the Shinkansen when you first came to Tokyo..."

"Oh...well when we came to Tokyo from Kyoto, we took a bus. It was cheap, but it took a really long time. The Shinkansen will probably be a lot quicker," Kyoko replied, her mood souring a little as she remembered the experience of running away with Sho to Tokyo. It had taken countless hours, and Kyoko had to stay awake the whole time to make sure they didn't miss their stop since Sho had fallen asleep. The bus had been run down, and sitting in the same position for so many hours had made Kyoko's back ache.

However, as the tour group stepped into the main entrance of Tokyo Station, Kyoko looked up at the huge yellow dome above them and blocked out those memories of her coming to Tokyo. The architecture seemed very European to Kyoko, and she was so busy craning her head to look at the dome that she bumped into Ren. Kyoko immediately apologized and stopped looking up so that she could see where she was actually going.

Mari led the group through the entrance to the Shinkansen, but Kyoko paused as she caught sight of a poster. It was an RMandy ad where Ren was standing against a brick wall with a black glove, wearing a designer suit. Kyoko looked up at the real Ren and noticed that his hat had ridden up while he was sleeping and exposed more of his face than before.

"Kuon, pull your cap down!" Kyoko whispered.

"What?"

"Look at that ad over there! Someone might recognize you!" Kyoko turned to point at the poster. She almost jumped when Natsuko suddenly appeared at her side, turning to see where Kyoko had pointed.

"Oooo! That's Ren Tsuruga's new ad! Kyoko-san, have you ever met him in person?" Natsuko asked excitedly. Out of the corner of her eye, Kyoko saw Ren heed her advice and draw his cap down.

"I-I have...We work in the same agency," Kyoko responded.

"That's so cool! What's he like in person? Is he as kind as he is in interviews?"

"Oh yes! Of course! Tsuruga-san is even better in person! I'm very fortunate to have been able to be his costar," Kyoko replied.

"Then just between you and me, you've heard his nickname, right?"

"What nickname?"

"The costar killer. Since you costarred with him, did you ever end up falling in love with him?" Natsuko asked. Kyoko didn't know how to respond. Although she would be lying if she didn't say yes, doing so would seem wrong with her supposed husband standing beside her.

"Uh..." Kyoko began to say before she was suddenly interrupted.

"Of course she has. Even I've fallen in love with Ren Tsuruga," Kuon interjected into their conversation.

"What?!" Kyoko dropped her jaw in shock. Ren gave her a smirk before continuing.

"I mean what's not to love? He's kind, accomplished, and handsome. Who wouldn't fall for someone like Ren Tsuruga?" Kuon continued.

"Yeah, he's also extremely humble," Kyoko snorted.

"Of course," Ren smiled in amusement.

"Wow! Thanks for giving me a little behind the scenes knowledge on Ren Tsuruga!" Natsuko winked before returning to converse with her husband.

"Kind, accomplished and handsome?" Kyoko deadpanned at Ren after Natsuko had left.

"It looked like you had no idea how to respond, so I wanted to help."

"By praising yourself?"

"I was just using adjectives that many talk show hosts will use to describe Ren Tsuruga. That doesn't mean they're true."

"But they are. You're definitely kind, even to those you don't like. You're Japan's top actor, so you're also accomplished. And you heard my opinion on your handsomeness earlier on the bus..."

"How did you describe me again? I seem to have forgotten..." Ren said with a teasing grin.

"I'm not repeating it. That was embarrassing," Kyoko responded bashfully. The group was nearing the Shinkansen platform now, but as they turned a corner, Kyoko almost shrieked at the numerous advertisements on pillars and walls, all identical and displaying Ren's RMandy ad.

"Wow. I didn't know that this advertising campaign would be so widespread," Ren remarked.

"Shhh! Just keep your head down and walk quickly!" Kyoko whispered.

Unfortunately, Mari chose to suddenly stop in that hallway to address the group. Ren stopped in front of one of the pillars displaying his face, and Kyoko grabbed his hand to yank him away from the ad.

"When we board the Shinkansen, feel free to relax since the ride will take a few hours. I'll make sure everyone is awake when we get close to Osaka, but make sure not to leave anything on the train when you get off," Mari explained. She then continued on her trek through the hallway, and Kyoko breathed a sigh of relief as they finally were out of that hallway full of Ren. There weren't any more mishaps along the way to the Shinkansen, and after boarding the Shinkansen, Ren helped her with her luggage, storing it above her seat before she could stop him. She quietly thanked him and took the window seat, leaving him to take the aisle seat.

"At least we're out of that station now. That was too close. Someone could have recognized you!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"I was wearing my disguise, so don't worry. Now that we're on this train, no one's going to be paying attention to us," Ren said, taking off his cap.

"What are you doing?!"

"I've been wearing that hat for the whole day. It was starting to feel tight."

"What if someone sees you?!"

"I still have my sunglasses on. Unless someone looks closely, they won't notice," Ren replied.

"Ugh! Don't blame me if you're recognized!" Kyoko turned her head away irritatedly. Ren shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, intending to get some rest.

"Excuse me," A girl walking through the aisle said to Ren, trying to put her bag over her seat without hitting him. He moved his head out of the aisle and closer to Kyoko so that the girl could get past. Once she had succeeded, the girl and her friend sat down in the seats across the aisle from Kyoko and Ren. The girl's friend pulled out a magazine.

"Hey, did you see the new RMandy ad with Ren Tsuruga?" The girl with the magazine asked her friend, showing her friend the ad in the magazine. Kyoko froze.

"Oh yeah! That black suit is so wild and sexy!" The other girl responded.

"Right? Did you also hear the latest news about him?"

"No? What is it?"

"They say that Ren Tsuruga is love sick!"

"No way!"

Kyoko felt like sinking into her seat. She peeked to the side to see Ren's reaction to the statement, and she found him to be staring at her with a blank expression on his face. Kyoko couldn't help but blush under his intense stare.

"Why do they think that Ren Tsuruga is love sick?" The girl asked.

"Apparently he's been acting differently these past few months. He's usually not irritable, but someone working behind the scenes during one of his interviews about a week ago said that he snapped at her for bringing up Itsumi Momose's role as a fairy queen in her new costume drama!

"That doesn't sound like him at all!"

"Yeah, that's what everyone's saying! That's why they think it's because of a girl! Because of that story, people think that he and Itsumi Momose were secretly dating but had a falling out!"

Kyoko watched Ren's eyebrows narrow and his lips purse in a frown. Did Ren think that she believed those two gossiping ladies?

"You're joking! Well I guess that explains their chemistry during Dark Moon!" The other girl replied. Kyoko stifled a laugh. That chemistry was because both were amazing actors, not because they were in love. If Ren had been in love with Momose, then he wouldn't have had such a problem portraying that love in the first place.

"Do you think he got rejected?" The girl asked her friend.

"Who would reject Ren Tsuruga? If I had the chance to date him, then I would immediately take it!"

"But Kagura-chan, what if he's different in real life? Maybe he puts a persona on in front of the television. You probably wouldn't even recognize him if he was standing right in front of you."

"Of course I would! If Ren Tsuruga was sitting right next to me, then I would know! I'm just that loyal of a fan!"

Oh the irony. Kyoko knew Ren was cringing in embarrassment at such a conversation, and at that moment she was happy that she wasn't as popular as him to have such voracious fans.

"You know, that guy that's sitting next to you actually looks really similar to Ren Tsuruga..." Kyoko's ears pricked up at the girl's whisper. Kyoko immediately started to panic as she caught the two girls looking over at Ren.

"What do you mean?"

"Have you ever seen another Japanese man that's so tall?"

Kyoko saw the two girls looking carefully at Ren, and she knew she had to do something to deter their curiosity. Something! Anything!

"Kuon?" Kyoko fluttered her eyes.

"Yes?" Ren wondered, turning towards her.

Acting on instinct, Kyoko wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close, resting her head on his chest. Instinctively, Ren wrapped his arms around her as well.

Out of the corner of her eye, Kyoko saw the two girls cringe in disgust at the ostentatious display of affection. For added effect, Kyoko pressed a soft kiss to Ren's cheek, and she saw the two girls turn away completely.

"Ren Tsuruga wouldn't have a girlfriend like that," The girl whispered, loud enough for Kyoko and Ren to hear. Kyoko intended to pull away, satisfied that her plan had worked, but she found Ren's arms holding her in place.

"K-Kuon?" Kyoko wondered.

"Kyoko, I love you."

"Ehhh?!" Kyoko instantly heated up in a blush at his sudden declaration.

"Now I understand why you didn't want to kiss me. Once I had a taste, I would never want to stop. Even a hug like this makes me happy beyond words, and I never want to let go."

"You've hugged me before though..."

"You mean as Setsu?"

"No. Wh-When my mother denied my existence on national television. I remember after getting rid of Shotaro, I was frantically calling for Corn in the park. When you showed up, I mistook you for him and cried in your arms, but I didn't realize until now that you really did come when I called for you."

"I can't apologize enough times for hiding that I was Corn from you," Ren hung his head.

"Sure I was angry before that you had lied to me, but now I'm really happy that you're the same person. There were times that I longed to see Corn again and regretted not listening to his troubles when he listened to so many of mine. I thought that I might never see him again. Now I know that you've been by my side this whole time, silently supporting me again."

Ren reached into his pocket and pulled out the Corn stone. Kyoko reached out for it and laid her hand on top of it, on top of Ren's hand.

"You know, when I found out that you had kept this stone with you all those years, I was really happy. For the first time, it seemed like I had finally done something good in the world. I really do feel honored that you were able to use the stone to vent out your negative feelings all these years, but I don't want you to use it anymore," Ren said.

Kyoko blanched. "What?!"

"Well, my dream is for you to never have anymore negative emotions so that you'll never need to use it again, but I know that dream isn't possible. Sometimes you'll just have a bad day. But I want you to be able to vent your sorrows to me again instead of the stone, Kyoko-chan. Just like old times?" Kuon tilted his head to the side like a child. With that action, there was no doubt that the man in front of her was her childhood fairy prince. That action truly clicked into place that Ren and Corn were the same person. Kyoko felt her eyes begin to brim with tears, and she quickly wiped the moisture away.

"What's wrong? Did I say something that made you feel bad?" Ren worriedly looked down at her.

"No. I just feel so horrible for putting you through my anger these last few months when you were only understanding through the whole ordeal. You've always been like this, and now I feel like I don't deserve you-"

"Kyoko, never say that you don't deserve me. If anything, it's me who doesn't deserve you. I was the one who lied to you. That was my mistake. You had every right to be angry with me."

Kyoko couldn't stop her tears now, and she felt bad for staining Ren's shirt. "I still feel horrible for treating you like that. I don't know how I can make it up to you."

"You don't have to make up anything. You just giving me another chance is enough."

Kyoko closed her hand around the Corn stone and felt a familiar warmth at the feeling of the ridges of the stone under her palm.

"Do you want it back?" Ren wondered.

"You were right. I don't need it anymore. I have you here with me now, Corn. Can you hold onto the stone for me for now?" Kyoko asked, taking her hand off it.

"Of course," Ren replied, putting the stone back into his pocket. He released her from his arms, but to his surprise, she stayed lying on his chest.

"Kyoko?"

Kyoko pressed a hand to his chest and felt the fluttering of his heart beneath. She still couldn't believe she was the one that caused this effect.

"What if I say that I like hugging you?" Kyoko asked softly. A smile bloomed on Ren's face.

"I would tell you to do it whenever you want."

...

The fusing of Corn and Ren into one man in Kyoko's mind was sudden, but once it was done, Kyoko found that it was a seamless transition. If there was one thing for certain, Kyoko knew she lov-liked both. Eventually she pulled away from the hug, but she ended up talking with Ren through the whole Shinkansen ride. They had a lot to catch up on from the two months that Kyoko had avoided him.

When the Shinkansen arrived in Osaka, Ren helped take Kyoko's luggage for her like a gentleman, even amidst her protesting, and she reluctantly thanked him yet again. After getting off of the Shinkansen, Mari led the honeymooners group to a new bus. After loading their luggage, the tour group arrived at their hotel after a short ten-minute drive. It had been a long day, and Kyoko was excited to lie down and have a good night's rest. Mari distributed the keycards, and Ren followed Kyoko towards their room.

As Kyoko opened the door to their hotel room, she flicked the light switch on. She had been dying to use the restroom on the bus ride to the hotel. Kyoko quickly stepped into the bathroom and into the small division with the toilet without paying much attention to the rest of the bathroom. Once she had finished her business and was washing her hands, she promptly screamed as she saw the bathtub. Ren came rushing in at her scream.

"What's wrong?!"

"Th-The tub!"

Ren turned to look at the bathtub and had to suppress his laughter as he found that it was filled with rose petals.

"How could they do this?! Who would want to take a bath in this hideous tub?! When you get out, you'll be covered in rose petals!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"This type of bath is not meant to be practical, but it's intended to set a romantic mood and to be relaxing for newlyweds," Ren explained.

"If I was a newlywed, I wouldn't want all this tacky romantic junk," Kyoko huffed.

"I'll remember then," Ren smiled at her, and Kyoko blushed as she understood his insinuation. He wanted to marry her in the future?

Kyoko had never let herself even think of a future with Ren since she had believed for such a long time that he would never return her feelings. What type of life would they have together? Kyoko's heart fluttered as she began to think about the possibility of a long relationship with Ren for the first time.

"I'm sorry. I freaked you out again, didn't I?" Ren put a hand to his forehead.

"N-No! I just didn't think you thought that far ahead..."

Kyoko looked down at the tub of rose petals. It was really quite ridiculous, but if she thought about the future...if she married Ren... would their real honeymoon have a tub of rose petals too?

"If the tub is bothering you, then you really won't like the bed..." Ren trailed off.

Kyoko raised an eyebrow and walked past Ren into the suite. Kyoko balked at the arrangement of rose petals in the shape of a heart on the king size bed.

"It seems that they decorated this suite especially for honeymooners," Ren said. Kyoko walked around the room, finding complementary wine on the coffee table and discovering a small card that said 'Happy Honeymoon' on the desk. Kyoko's curiosity led her to open one of the bedside drawers, but she immediately slammed it shut when she saw the contents, and blood rushed to her face. She was suddenly very conscious of why the hotel had tried to set a romantic mood in the suite.

"What's wrong?" Ren wondered.

"N-Nothing!" Kyoko squeaked.

"What was in the drawer?"

"J-Just some c-con-CONFETTI!"

"Confetti?"

"Yes!"

"Kyoko, you're not very good at lying."

"I'm just going to get ready for bed," Kyoko ducked her head, rushing past Ren before he could question her further. She hurriedly grabbed her pajamas and zipped into the bathroom to change.

When Kyoko left the room, Ren crossed over to the nightstand and opened the drawer to see what had made Kyoko so flustered. Peeking inside, Ren immediately closed the drawer as Kyoko had done after seeing the plethora of foil squares inside. A blush spread across his cheeks, and Ren decided to forget that drawer existed.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I would love if you could leave me a review to tell me how you're liking the fic!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay, so this chapter is SUPER dialogue-heavy compared to usual, but these conversations need to happen between our two lovebirds at one point or another :)**

* * *

While Kyoko was in the restroom, she suddenly felt her stomach growling with hunger. She vaguely remembered Mari telling the group that they could explore the area and find somewhere to eat dinner, but it seemed that Ren and Kyoko had completely forgotten to do so. Kyoko was practically tired enough to fall asleep then and there, but she would be straying from her morals if she didn't have her third meal of the day!

Without changing, Kyoko burst out of the bathroom, just as Ren closed the drawer of "confetti". She saw his cheeks darken red with a blush, and Kyoko cleared her throat to alert him of her presence.

"I just realized we never ate dinner," Kyoko said. Ren glanced at the desk and picked up the menu for room service.

"How about we order room service?"

"Room service? Isn't that expensive?"

"Don't worry about the price. I'll pay."

"Kuon... I can't have you pay for everything."

"I happen to have a company credit card on me. Since we were supposed to be on the LME company trip where all meals were paid for by the company, I don't think Boss would mind me charging our meals to the card."

"I don't know..."

"Oh wow, look! They have hamburger and egg on the menu," Ren pointed at the menu. Kyoko immediately ran over to look at the menu, her mouth watering at the prospect of her favorite dish.

"Unless if you didn't want hamburger and egg, we could find something else to eat..." Ren started to slowly close the menu.

"No! Hamburger and egg is fine!" Kyoko grinned, oblivious to how Ren had tricked her into agreeing to room service. Ren picked up the hotel phone to place their dinner order as Kyoko went back into the bathroom to change. When she came out again in her pajamas, Ren had finished ordering and had turned on the TV. He sat on the bed, and his eyes were glued to the screen as a trailer for _A Lotus in the Mire_ premiered.

"I got so many bruises from practicing that scene," Kyoko mentioned at the fight scene flashing on screen, breaking Ren from his trance.

"I had no idea how brilliant of a character you had created. You've really come a long way in your skills in acting in such a short amount of time," Ren praised her. His words fueled the actress's heart inside her. As one of the devout followers of the Tsuruga Religion, to get a compliment like this was almost like being blessed by God himself.

"Thank you. Coming from you, that really means a lot," Kyoko felt her cheeks warm up from the praise.

"It's true. From the start, I knew how determined you were to succeed. You had the guts to flourish in the industry."

"But I remember you telling me that having a lot of courage wouldn't get me through everything," Kyoko shivered, remembering that first time she had come face to face with his cold hostility.

"It can't. Especially if you're motivated by the wrong reasons. You have to strive to succeed for your own fulfillment, or you won't be able to keep going. Celebrities can say whatever they want on television, but are the most famous celebrities motivated only by their fans?"

"No?"

"They aren't. They love their craft itself. You have to enjoy acting for yourself before you can act for others."

"That reminds me of what the President told me when he created the Love Me section. To be loved by others, I myself would have to learn to love."

"It seems he reused that line then. That was also what he told me when I first came over to Japan," Ren smiled slightly at the memory.

Their conversation was cut off by a knock at the door. Ren stood up to open the door and found a hotel employee waiting outside the room with their dinner. Ren thanked him for bringing the food, and the worker replied with a short 'Enjoy your honeymoon!'

When Ren placed the two plates on the small table inside the room, Kyoko eagerly started to set the table as Ren cleared off the magazines that had previously been resting on it. Kyoko took her seat and quickly grabbed a fork, moaning in bliss as the first taste of the hamburger hit her tongue.

"It's been so long since I had this," Kyoko took another bite, savoring the taste of her favorite dish.

"I'm actually a bit surprised that your favorite food is still hamburger and eggs. Mine has changed countless times, but it seems that yours has stayed the same for more than 10 years."

"Other than being delicious, hamburger with egg also reminds me of good memories," Kyoko smiled.

"You mean the hamburger kingdom?" Ren grinned.

"Y-You still remember that? Back from when we first met in Kyoto?"

"Of course. That was all I could think of when you were my temporary manager and we went to eat hamburger and eggs. I remember all of those days in Kyoto."

"I didn't know that. I thought that maybe it was only me who kept those memories close to my heart."

Ren shook his head. "The times I spent with you are some of the most vivid memories of my entire childhood. I had some other friends my age, but a lot of the time they were only friends with me since I was a kid with famous parents. Since you didn't know my true identity, I really felt at ease during the times we played together. I didn't have to hide anything from you. I could be myself with you."

"I guess neither of us had many friends when we were children then. Since I was living with Shotaro, other girls would get jealous of me, and they wouldn't want to be my friends. Shotaro was really my only friend, but I was so focused on pleasing him and his parents that I had to act a certain way around them. When I was with you, I could be myself."

Kyoko peeked up from her food to smile at Ren. Ren smiled back, but then he turned his head towards the TV at the sound of swords clashing, prompting Kyoko to do the same. It was another trailer for_ A Lotus in the Mire_, and Momiji was taking on a whole group of soldiers by herself.

"You're stage combat might be even better than mine," Ren marveled at her skill.

"What?! That's not possible! I've only been practicing for a few months, but you've been in show business since..." Kyoko trailed off, not quite knowing when Ren had joined show business. She knew when Ren Tsuruga had debuted, but she wasn't sure when Kuon Hizuri begun acting…

"I started acting as a child, but I started learning stage combat even earlier since my dad was such a big action hero. I remember that I wanted to be just like him, so I asked him to teach me stage combat. He must have found it funny to watch a toddler attempt to copy his moves," Ren chuckled.

"You must have been so cute as a toddler! I wish I could see a picture!" Kyoko exclaimed before a brilliant idea came to her head. "Wait! Since your parents were famous, there must be pictures of you as a toddler online!" Kyoko exclaimed, grabbing her phone and searching up 'Kuon Hizuri baby photos'.

Her eyes lit up as she saw a cute wide-mouthed grin from an infant Kuon Hizuri. His blonde hair was lighter than what she remembered Corn's hair to be in Kyoto, but his emerald eyes held that same glimmer that they did now. And his cheeks were just so cute that Kyoko wanted to reach through the screen and pinch them.

"You were so adorable!" Kyoko exclaimed. People should have known he would stop hearts when he grew up based on how he looked as a child. Kyoko had no doubt that he would have been one of those teenage heartthrobs in America. Actually, she could check that too! Kyoko typed in 'Kuon Hizuri teenager photos' into her search engine.

"Wait, you shouldn't search that up-" Ren began to say, but it was too late as Kyoko's phone lit up with her search results. Instead of the heart-stopping teenage idol that Kyoko had expected to see, there were various pictures from news articles about Kuon's involvement in gangs and even a mugshot of Kuon with a black eye and bloody lip.

"That's why I didn't want you to search that up. I knew the mugshot would come up," Ren sighed, putting his head in his hands.

"Wh-What happened?"

"Usually I was good at evading the cops, but that mugshot was one of the days where I was caught. That was the first time I had ever been arrested, and my parents had to bail me out of jail...My mom cried when they came to pick me up. My dad tried to keep it out of the news, but he wasn't successful as you can see. They must have been so disappointed to have me as a son."

"That's not true! Fathe-your father wouldn't be disappointed in you!"

"How do you know?"

"When he gave me that acting exercise as Ku-you, he went on and on about how wonderful you were. He was such a doting otou-sama when describing you, so I don't believe that he would be disappointed in you. I mean, look at you now. Even if those things happened in the past, you overcame them and improved yourself. I think that makes your success today even more admirable. I bet that your parents are proud of you."

"Kyoko, you don't know everything that I've done. If I told you some of the things that I did in America, would you still say those things to me?"

"Are you still the same person now that you were before, or are you trying to improve?"

"Of course I'm different now, but-"

"Then I won't judge you for your past. You can't change it. If you're trying to become a better person today, then I can't be mad at you for what you did before."

"But you don't know what horrible things I did in America. I hurt so many people..."

"Are you going to return to that kind of lifestyle?"

"Of course not."

"Then I already told you. I can't judge you for what happened before. You can tell me anything, Kuon," Kyoko smiled encouragingly, reaching out a hand to clasp his. Ren rested a hand on top of hers and took a deep breath.

"Maybe another day when I'm feeling a bit more courageous. How about I tell you more about my friend Rick?" Ren tried to smile, although Kyoko could see his eyes glisten slightly with moisture.

"I would love to hear more about Rick. He was your good friend, right?" Kyoko replied with her encouraging smile.

"Rick taught me how to stand up for myself. One time, he gave me a live chicken and told me that it was the weakness inside me. He told me to take the chicken and strangle it with my bare hands, kill it, and then eat it to expel the chicken inside of me. Instead, I went out and bought chicken nuggets and kept the chicken as a pet. I named him Brian," Ren said, chuckling a little at the memory. Kyoko laughed along with him.

"Rick didn't approve of the chicken nuggets, so I cooked Maui Omurice with chicken instead. I copied the recipe exactly like how my dad did it, but the taste was so bad. I almost threw it away after that first bite, but Rick told me to eat it all so that I could transform the energy of the villainous chicken into a powerful chicken. He told me to have the girl I love cast her magic on it by writing an uplifting message on it with ketchup, but I had just gotten dumped, so Rick did it for me instead. He wrote 'Reluck'."

"So that's why you made that omurice after the car stunt…" Kyoko came to a realization. Ren nodded.

"Y-You asked me to write something with the ketchup. Does that mean..."

"I wanted to see if Rick's advice worked by having the girl I love cast her magic on it," Ren squeezed her hand, making Kyoko realize that they had started to hold hands at some point. Kyoko felt her cheeks heat up. She didn't know if she could ever get used to Ren referring to her as 'the girl he loved'. It was still such a foreign concept to her.

...

Kanae felt her phone buzz in her purse. She took it out to see who had contacted her. Mari seemed to have sent her an attachment.

"Did she actually follow through with her promise?" Kanae wondered aloud.

"What is it?" Yashiro wondered what Kanae was talking about. The LME tour group was still sightseeing around Lake Kawaguchi, and they were taking a nature walk as a group. Kanae was surprised that there was even cell reception out there.

"My cousin said that she would send me a picture of Kyoko and Tsuruga-san, but I didn't think she would actually follow through."

"WHAT?! She sent you a picture?! Let me see!" Yashiro pulled her to the side to stop walking. Kanae opened her messages and clicked on the attachment that Mari had sent. After a few seconds of loading, Kanae and Yashiro were greeted with the cute scene of Kyoko and Ren resting their heads on each other on the bus.

"I can die happy!" Yashiro exclaimed, his voice jumping an octave higher as he fangirled over his favorite couple.

"This is almost too sickeningly sweet," Kanae remarked, choosing to ignore the squeals coming out of the grown man next to her. As a result of Yashiro's outburst, the LME group had stopped around them, wondering what was going on. Suddenly, the crowd parted, allowing room for Lory to approach the pair with a knowing grin on his face.

"She sent you a picture, didn't she? Show me! Show me! Show me!" Lory begged. Although Kanae was still angry at Lory for meddling with their hotel arrangements, he had been waiting just as long, if not longer, to see the couple together. With that thought in mind, Kanae turned her phone towards him. Lory's lips curled up in a grin.

"This is even better than any otome game that I could have paid to make!" Lory exclaimed.

"It's a little disconcerting to see two grown men freaking out like schoolgirls over this…" Kanae said.

"We've waited so long for this to happen," Yashiro said with a blissful smile. Lory nodded his agreement.

...

After finishing dinner, Kyoko had yawned profusely, and Ren had suggested they take a break from talking and go to bed. Kyoko agreed, and after she finished brushing her teeth, she practically passed out on the bed (the rose petals had already been cleared away by Ren while she was in the bathroom). When Ren was finished getting ready for bed, he softly pulled up the comforter to slide into his place on the bed beside her. He turned off the light, and only the soft glow of the moonlight from behind the curtains was left illuminating the room. Ren smiled as he looked at Kyoko sleeping peacefully. He hoped that she wouldn't feel as tired tomorrow. Ren closed his eyes, drifting to sleep himself.

Kyoko was the first to wake up the next morning, and she softly got out of bed as to not awake Ren. Going to her luggage, Kyoko grabbed her outfit for the day and headed into the bathroom to take a shower. Luckily, the shower was separate from the bathtub, so Kyoko wasn't forced to deal with the atrocity of roses that she had found in the bathtub last night. She briefly pondered over the lack of rose petals on the bed when she fell asleep before realizing that Ren must have cleared them off when she wasn't paying attention.

When Kyoko had finished showering and had gotten changed for the day, she exited the bathroom and found that Ren was still sound asleep. She checked the time and found that it was only 7:30 AM, and they didn't need to meet the tour group until 9. Kyoko knew she was an early bird. She didn't want to wake Ren up, so she decided that she would spend some time looking over some of the new offers Yashiro had given her before she left.

For the first time, the majority of the roles were not bully roles. Although Kyoko had two offers for villains, her work as Momiji had yielded her three other offers for protagonists. Yashiro had also given her a list of possible auditions. Kyoko Mogami was slowly but surely climbing the ladder in show business. The filming for _A Lotus in the Mire_ was ending soon, so Kyoko would have more time to take on another job or two, especially since a few of the roles were for side characters that would only appear for a few episodes.

One of these characters was a swordswoman in a costume drama who would be killed off after four episodes. Another character was a high school bully who would be a reoccurring character throughout the series. Kyoko flipped through the script excerpts for the two characters. They seemed pretty similar to past roles that Kyoko had already done, so maybe she could look at some of the other offers she had.

"Looking at jobs?"

Kyoko almost jumped in her seat as she flipped around to see Ren suddenly sitting up in bed, yawning. When had he woken up?

"I'm sorry. Did I scare you?" Ren wondered, running a hand through his hair. Kyoko's eyes flicked up to his bedhead. She wondered how many people had ever seen Ren's unkempt hair. He was always such a model gentleman in public that Kyoko felt lucky to be one of the few people to see him like this. His bedhead reminded her of Cain.

"Ah, you startled me a little, but I'm fine now," Kyoko responded. Ren stood up from the bed and came to look over her shoulder.

"Which ones are you thinking of taking?" Ren asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't finished looking through them yet. Yashiro-san also gave me a couple options for auditions, so I'll have to look through those too at some point," Kyoko replied, starting to put her scripts away so that they could go to breakfast together.

"Make sure you also pay attention to who you're co-starring with when you pick a role," Ren suggested before popping into the bathroom to put on his clothes and freshen up.

"You're right! I have to make sure that Kimiko Morizumi isn't in the project..."

"Kimiko Morizumi? Isn't that the girl you thought I was in love with? What's wrong with her?" Ren's voice carried out from the bathroom.

"Well...she was the other person who was auditioning for Momiji. She went to some really drastic measures to get the part."

"Like what?" Ren asked, having come back into the bedroom fully clothed. Kyoko looked up at his hair, noting that his mess of bedhead had disappeared. How had he done that so fast?

"For one, she twisted that story about her pinky ring to make me think you loved her... I lost my focus during my audition, and if it hadn't been for Moko-san, I might have failed it."

"A lot of people in the entertainment world will try to use their words to manipulate you. I'm just glad she didn't do anything worse to you."

"Well actually, there's something else she did."

"What else?"

"The reason why I ever auditioned for Momiji in the first place was because it was a request for the Love Me Section."

"Why would someone request for you to audition for a role?"

"Erika Koenji was originally supposed to have the role of Momiji, but she was involved in an accident. She believed that the accident was caused by Kimiko Morizumi, so she wanted me to audition for Momiji so that Morizumi-san wouldn't get the part."

"Wait. If Morizumi-san really did cause Koenji-san's accident...did she try to do the same to you?"

"Sh-She did," Kyoko replied softly.

Ren's eyes narrowed, and his next words held a slight growl. "What did she do?"

"One day when I went to use the restroom at a restaurant with Yashiro-san, Morizumi-san and her manager pushed a rag of some kind of chemical in my face. It made it so that I couldn't move, and they forced me outside. Then...they tried to throw me off the building."

Kyoko felt a chill go down her spine as her few remaining demons came out to bask in Ren's intensely angry aura. No! She had brought out the demon lord!

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? How long ago did this happen?"

"About 2 months ago..."

"And Yashiro-san also knew about this? Why didn't he tell me?"

"It-It's not Yashiro-san's fault! He was only trying to help me... No one else except for him knew about what happened. I didn't want it to get out to the media. This happened a few days before you revealed your identity to me, and in those few days, there was never a good time for me to tell you. Then when you told me you were Corn, I didn't even want to talk to you..."

"I feel like such an idiot," Ren sighed.

"What?"

"I lost your trust when you needed me most. I should have just told you I was Corn from the start. Now you won't ever be able to trust me fully since I hid such a big secret from you."

"It's not that I didn't trust you to keep the matter confidential! I know you would have kept it a secret. I just...I didn't want to trouble you."

Ren let out his NG sigh, and Kyoko found her spine stiffening. What had she said wrong?

"Kyoko, I want you to trouble me. I want you to be able to confide in me. I want to listen to your worries and help you."

"What? Why would you want me to trouble you? I don't want to be annoying."

"Has someone called you that before when you tried to tell them about one of your problems? Was it _him_?"

"It wasn't only Shotaro," Kyoko replied with a sad smile. It was at that moment that Ren realized who had caused the most damage to Kyoko's self esteem.

"It was your mother, wasn't it?"

Kyoko stayed silent as she remembered the countless times she had looked to her mother for comfort, only to be thrown to the ground and left in her own sorrows. "I don't want you to start feeling that I'm annoying, Kuon. If I keep complaining about things to you, then one day you'll get tired of me," Kyoko's voice cracked. She felt Ren's warm arms encircle her.

"I'll never get tired of hearing about your troubles, Kyoko. I listened to you all the time as Corn, remember? I asked before, and I'll ask again. Let me be your fairy prince again."

Corn had always been there for her. She had no reason not to trust him. But Kyoko was terrified, and she knew exactly why she was afraid of Ren learning too much more about her. He was her most important person. If he left her, Kyoko didn't know if she could bounce back. At least with Sho, Kyoko had been able to turn her hurt into motivation. If Ren decided he didn't like her anymore, then-

"Kyoko, when I told you about my past last night, did you feel that I was being annoying?"

"What? Of course not! I...I liked learning more about you."

"I want to learn more about you too. Tell me something, Kyoko. Anything. If you want, you can start small. It doesn't have to be right now. Come on, let's head down to get breakfast," Ren gestured towards the door. Kyoko smiled shyly at him, following him out of the suite towards the elevator. Once they stepped into the elevator, Kyoko decided on something she could tell Ren.

"Did you know that President Takarada found out that I liked you when he came onto set when we were Cain and Setsu?"

"He knew since then?"

"After he found out, he made me meet with him in his office. I was so scared since you came out right before I went in, and I thought he had told you. It turns out that he never mentioned it to you. I was so relieved. When I went into his office, President Takarada asked me whether I was going to do anything about my feelings, but I told him I wasn't. Then he asked if I could wish you well if you fell in love with someone else. I couldn't make that promise, and it made me feel like a horrible person."

"But he knew that I was in love with you already. He's known ever since Katsuki's acting test. What trick was he trying to pull?" Ren narrowed his eyes.

"I think he was testing my feelings for you. To see if they were real."

"Or maybe he just thought that it was entertaining to watch us dance around each other while both of us were oblivious to the other's feelings," Ren grumbled. The elevator reached the ground floor, and the couple started on their trek towards the hotel's café for the breakfast buffet.

"Kuon, did anyone else know that you liked me?"

"Yashiro-san and Kijima-kun."

"Yashiro-san makes sense, but Kijima-kun? I wasn't under the impression that you two were so close."

"I accidentally revealed it to him one day. He was emailing you and talking about how cute your emails were, and I got a bit jealous. I didn't have your email like he did, but I told him I would rather listen to your voice than email you. He figured it out after that. What about you, Kyoko?" Ren wondered.

"The president knows for certain. I think Moko-san was onto me the entire time too. Oh! And Hiromune-san knows as well!"

"Hiromune-san?"

"He's been teasing me about it for the last two months. And then he even teased me about it when he called me recently!"

"That's why you acted like that over the phone?"

"Acted like what?"

"I thought you were flirting with Hiromune-san..."

Kyoko stared agape at him for a few seconds before bursting into laughter. "Of course not! I don't even know how to flirt!"

The pair stopped in front of the café as Ren turned to her incredulously. "You definitely do!"

"No? I've never tried to s-seduce someone before..."

"I disagree. You flirted with me at the Dark Moon cast party."

"H-How did I do that?!"

"You asked me what I wanted from you since I told you that any guy who buys you clothes wants something from you."

"I wasn't trying to flirt! I just wanted to launch a counterstrike against you since you were chastising me about showing up to the cast party with the makeover that Kijima-san bought for me. And besides, even if I was trying to flirt, it's not like it worked. You only thought of it as a joke and tried to tease me by asking if you could show me what you wanted to do to me."

"I wasn't joking. You were just so flustered that I told you I was joking so that you wouldn't be so scared of me. I didn't want to make you cry."

"T-Then you really did want to do something to me with that expression?!" Kyoko exclaimed in shock. Ren smiled sheepishly.

"How many?" The hostess at the front of the café asked as she saw them standing in the front of the café idly.

"Two," Ren replied. The hostess nodded, picking up two menus and leading them to a booth.

"Both food and drinks can be found at the buffet. Let me know if you need anything else," The hostess smiled before leaving.

"Shall we?" Ren gestured towards the buffet. He grabbed a plate for Kyoko, who thanked him profusely. She piled on a piece of fish, miso soup, and some rice. When she returned to the table, she found Ren sitting there with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"What?! Why do you only have a cup of coffee now? I thought you grabbed a plate. Where did it go?" Kyoko sputtered.

"I never grabbed a plate for myself. I only grabbed one for you," Ren replied innocently.

"You have to look after your health, Tsuruga-san. Eat a healthy breakfast," Kyoko narrowed her eyes.

"Tsuruga-san?"

"If you don't come back with a plate full of food, then I'll call you that again."

"Fine. I'll be right back," Ren replied, returning to the breakfast buffet. As he picked up a plate, he glanced over to Kyoko who smirked at him. When Ren returned, Kyoko grinned at the satisfactory breakfast on his plate.

"I expect you to eat everything on that plate," Kyoko said.

"Yes, honey," Ren replied.

"Honey?"

"Yes, honey?"

"Why do you keep calling me honey? S-Stop that!"

"Do you not like me calling you honey? Would you rather I call you sweetheart instead?"

"N-No! Since when did you become so cheesy?"

"How about I call you darling?"

"I don't need you to call me by a nickname like that."

"Sugar cup?"

"That one's horrible," Kyoko giggled.

"Princess."

Kyoko actually blushed at that one. Ren filed that pet name away in his memories. He would have to save that one for the future.

"How would you like it if I started calling you cheesy names, playboy?" Kyoko quipped.

"I don't particularly like that one since it's not true."

"Oooo! Maybe I should call you giraffe since you're so tall."

"You're just trying to mock me, aren't you?"

"How about cutie?"

"That's a bit better..."

"What if I call you babe?" Kyoko smirked. Ren's eyes darkened, and Kyoko's smile was wiped off her face as the Emperor of the Night suddenly appeared in front of her.

"And you tell me you don't know how to flirt, babe."

"I'm not flirting!"

* * *

**Yashiro and Lory's reactions to that picture are my reactions to the latest chapter of Skip Beat! lol. We're all suckers for any kind of development in Kyoko and Ren's relationship. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! **


	13. Chapter 13

**I just wanted to take a second to thank you all for the support you've given this story. When I first had this idea for a fic, I never expected it to become this popular. As of the time of posting chapter 13, this fic has 134 followers. That's crazy! Thank you so much! I know I haven't been updating as consistently, but I hope to change that as I will have a bit more free time soon. **

* * *

Kyoko bit her bottom lip between her teeth, turning away from Ren to hide a blush. How could she call him babe?! Just a few days ago, Kyoko thought that she would die if she said Ren's name without honorifics. Who would have thought that she would call him babe only mere days afterwards?!

"That was flirting, Kyoko."

"You're the one who flirts, not me!" Kyoko grumbled.

"I'm honestly surprised that you noticed that I tried to flirt with you. Why did you never respond?"

"I thought you said those kinds of things to everyone..."

"I probably gave you that impression since whenever I tried flirting with you, I thought that you would cry, so I tried to make it seem like a joke. But I'm not the only one who flirts. You do too."

"But you're the one who does it with that Emperor of the Night expression!"

"Emperor of the Night?" Ren's lips curled up with amusement at the nickname. Kyoko wanted to clap a hand over her mouth.

"D-Did I just say that out loud?"

"I think that name's even better than babe."

Kyoko gulped as the Emperor of the Night came out once again. "S-See? You're doing it again!" Kyoko exclaimed.

"What am I doing, Kyoko?"

"Y-You're looking at me like you want to...to eat me!" Kyoko used her arms to cover her chest and block herself from his hungry eyes.

Ren's eyes widened in shock at her words, especially with that accompanying action. "Eat you?!"

"You look like you're going to devour me!"

"Devour you?! Kyoko, I feel like I'm misinterpreting the meaning of your words."

"Y-You look like you're going to rip off my arm and garnish it before devouring it!"

Ren breathed a sigh. "I figured that's what you meant instead of what I was thinking."

"What were you thinking?"

Ren smiled to himself. "Nothing...I just think you're cute."

Kyoko felt her cheeks warm up. She grumbled, "How can you say something like that so easily all the time? This is why I always thought you were a playboy."

"I don't say things like this to everyone. Only to you."

...

"Hey, do you know where Kyoko-chan is? I haven't seen her the whole trip."

Kanae looked up from her phone to see Hikaru Ishibashi addressing her. "Why are you asking me?" Kanae asked.

"You're her best friend, right? I'm one of her friends. I work with her on Yappa Kimagure Rock, and I've been looking for her."

"Why are you looking for her?"

"Um...I wanted to spend some time with her?" Hikaru replied shyly.

"She's felt sick the whole trip. You probably haven't seen her since she's been stuck in her room the whole time," Kanae lied. The only people who knew the truth about Kyoko and Ren's whereabouts were her, Yashiro, and Lory, and Kanae intended to keep it that way.

"Oh no! Which room is she in? Maybe I can keep her company since she's missing out on the trip," Hikaru replied worriedly.

"She doesn't want to be disturbed."

"Oh, then maybe I can go buy her anything she needs to feel better?"

Kanae pinched the bridge of her nose in annoyance. This guy just wasn't taking no for an answer.

"That's not necessary. You'll have to excuse me. I have some urgent matters I have to speak about with Yashiro-san," Kanae cut off the conversation, heading off to find Yashiro before Hikaru could stop her.

When Kanae found Yashiro sitting at a table eating breakfast, she found that he was talking to a fellow manager. Kanae cleared her throat to alert them of her presence. Yashiro's friend smirked before offering his seat to Kanae and leaving the two of them alone. Was Yashiro blushing, or was she imagining it?

"What is it?" Yashiro wondered.

"We have a problem. Hikaru Ishibashi is starting to get suspicious of why Kyoko isn't here."

"Hikaru Ishibashi? What did you say about Kyoko when he asked you where she was?"

"I said she felt sick and was staying in her room."

"Why didn't you just lie that she never came on the trip in the first place?! That's what I did with Ren, and no one has investigated further!"

"Mo! I just said the first thing that came to mind! He caught me off guard!"

"Well there's nothing we can do about it now. I guess we have to stick to that story. Where does Hikaru Ishibashi know Kyoko from? I never knew that they were close," Yashiro said.

"Apparently they work together on Yappa Kimagure Rock."

"Yappa Kimagure Rock? Is that Kyoko's job at TBM Studios?"

"Yes? How do you not know this? Aren't you her manager?"

"She always keeps her job there a secret. Yappa Kimagure Rock is a variety show, right? What role does she play?"

"She's Bo the chicken."

Yashiro burst out into laughter. "N-No way! She's been that chicken the entire time?!"

"From what I remember, she's been the only one in that costume since the show first aired," Kanae raised an eyebrow in confusion. Why was this so funny to Yashiro?

"And Ren never knew! That's hilarious! This whole time, he thought he was getting advice from some random guy in a chicken costume, but it turns out to be Kyoko-chan this whole time!"

"I think my respect for Tsuruga-san has gone down a little after hearing that he took advice from a chicken."

"Ahaha! I wonder if he still doesn't know? I have to talk to him!" Yashiro giggled, putting on his gloves and pulling out his phone.

"Hey! You can't contact them!"

"But this is important!"

"No it isn't!"

"Why can't we just contact them? From that photo that your cousin sent you, it looks like they already cleared up whatever misunderstanding they had!"

"Even so, we shouldn't bother them. You'll have plenty of time to tease Tsuruga-san once their trip is over."

"Ugh, fine! I'll wait," Yashiro groaned.

...

"Wow! Look!" Kyoko pointed out of the window. The first stop for today's tour was Osaka Castle, and Kyoko was able to catch a glimpse of the main tower of the castle as the bus drove by. When the bus stopped, the tour group debarked in front of the main gate of the castle.

"We're going to spend about two hours here at Osaka Castle. I'm going to hand out tickets to enter the castle. When we arrive at the castle, you can choose to either wait in line for the elevator or take the stairs to the fifth floor so that you can explore the museum from the top down. If you climb up to floor 8, there's an observation deck where you can see all of Osaka. As we walk over, I'll give you all a brief overview of the history of the castle," Mari said, handing out tickets to each couple.

"Once we cross the moat, the main castle that you'll see is actually the third iteration of the Osaka Castle. Toyotomi Hideyoshi first built the castle in 1583. When the Tokugawa clan took control from the Toyotomi clan, they destroyed the castle in 1615. Tokugawa Hidetada had the castle rebuilt in the 1620s, but it was burned down by lightning in 1665. The castle before you today is a reconstruction done in 1931. Inside the castle, there's a museum which tells you more about the life of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, but I'll let you explore his story on your own pace," Mari said, leading the group towards the castle until they came to a bridge that went over the moat.

"This is a good spot if you want to take photos of the castle, so we'll stop here for a few minutes before continuing."

Kyoko couldn't help but marvel at the huge stone walls surrounding the castle. It was her first time seeing a castle in real life, and even though Osaka Castle wasn't exactly like the castles that princes and princesses lived in in Kyoko's favorite fairytales, it was still a wonder to behold.

"Do you want to take a picture together?" Ren asked her.

"Sure!" Kyoko smiled, pulling out her phone. She kindly asked a fellow couple if they would take a picture of them, then Kyoko and Ren went to pose for the picture.

"3...2...1...Cheese!" The girl said. Kyoko smiled widely, and once the picture was done, she offered to take a picture for the couple that had helped them. Once that was done, Kyoko finally had a chance to look at the picture of her and Ren in front of the castle.

"It looks nice," Ren said as he looked at the photo over her shoulder.

"You take pictures so naturally," Kyoko said. It really wasn't fair that he could be so handsome in every single picture they took.

"It is my job as a model."

"Oh, you're right! I guess I'm not that used to posing for pictures like you."

"I would be happy to teach you if you would like to learn."

"Really?"

"Of course. If you really want, I can teach you tonight when we get back to the hotel."

"I would like that."

After a few minutes, the group continued their trek towards the castle as Mari explained more about its history. As th EU walked under the sweltering sun, Kyoko began to feel the heat from the sun's rays and started to sweat. She looked over at Ren and was surprised to find him slightly sweating as well.

"I thought you could control your sweating?" Kyoko wondered, remembering how Cain had done so in Guam as they filmed for Tragic Marker.

"I can, but I don't need to right now. I usually only do so if I'm acting out a role."

"How do you even do that?" Kyoko wondered, eager to discover the actor's secret. It was getting even hotter now, so Kyoko pulled out a script from her bag to use as a makeshift fan.

"I'm not really sure how to explain it. I guess I just trick my body into thinking that it's not actually hot."

"How is that even possible?"

The tour group came to a stop near the base of the castle. "This will be our meeting point at 11. If you have any more questions, I'd be happy to answer them!" Mari smiled.

Kyoko and Ren broke off from the group and approached the entrance of the castle. There were two entrances: one for the stairs and another for the elevator. The line for the elevator was pretty long, so it would probably take at least ten minutes for them to wait, if not more.

"Do you want to take the elevator or the stairs?" Ren asked.

"I'm fine with taking the stairs if you are."

"Sure. Do you want to visit the eighth floor to see the observation deck?"

"Okay."

Kyoko and Ren began their climb up the castle, and Kyoko was feeling fine as they passed the first three floors. She was in pretty good shape after her training for Momiji. Ren was always in good shape. However, Kyoko started to get tired as they reached the fifth floor. By the eighth floor, Kyoko's legs were burning, but at least it was finally over. She doubled over and breathed heavily as she supported herself on her knees.

"We could have taken a break. You didn't need to push yourself so hard," Ren said, breathing slightly heavier than usual, although he wasn't nearly as winded as Kyoko.

"I'll be fine. Just...give me a few seconds," Kyoko said as she caught her breath. She stood up and clutched the handrail to keep her balance. Seeing this, Ren instinctively put his hands on her hips to stabilize her.

"Are you okay?" Ren asked. Kyoko nodded, but then she realized where his hands were. She stepped forward out of his grasp.

"I'm fine now. Let's go to the observation deck," Kyoko replied. As they stepped out onto the deck, Kyoko was shocked by how crowded it was. The space was already narrow, and Kyoko had to squeeze through a crowd of people to reach the edge where she could look at a panoramic view of Osaka.

"Wow! This is a nice view!" Kyoko exclaimed, turning around to tell Ren. However, she discovered that the man behind her wasn't Ren.

"It is a nice view. Almost as beautiful as you. What's your name?" The guy smirked at her.

"Um, I'm sorry I mistook you for someone else," Kyoko replied.

"Maybe it wasn't an accident. Maybe we were meant to meet."

"Sorry, I need to find someone," Kyoko tried to push past him, but the man stopped her by putting his hands on her shoulders and turning her back towards him.

"Come on, stay for a while and talk with me. I promise I'm a better companion than whoever it is you're trying to find."

Kyoko's hair stood up as she felt her demons suddenly rush out to bask in the feeling of intense anger behind her. She knew exactly who it was without looking.

"There you are. I lost you in the crowd, Kyoko," A deep voice said from behind her. "Who's this man? Is he bothering you?"

Kyoko turned around and grabbed Ren's hand. She looked up to see him flashing that glittering smile that represented his rage. Kyoko needed to diffuse the situation quickly. This stranger had no idea who he was dealing with.

"I'm so glad you're here, Kuon. I was just about to tell this man that I needed to go look for my _husband_," Kyoko smiled, squeezing Ren's hand and wrapping her other arm around his so that she could hug his arm. At her action, she felt some of her demons return disappointed that Ren's anger had gone down.

"Ah. S-Sorry for bothering you," The man quickly apologized before rushing away.

"That guy was really insistent. He was starting to make me feel uncomfortable. I'm glad you came when you did," Kyoko sighed in relief.

"Anything for my _wife_," Ren grinned.

"L-Look at the view!" Kyoko tried to divert the conversation as she turned back towards the view of the city, letting go of Ren's hand. She felt Ren's presence behind her, and she blushed as he rested his hands beside both of hers on the railing, essentially boxing her in with his body.

"It's very nice," Ren replied. Kyoko couldn't help but shiver at the feel of his warm breath next to her ear.

"Sorry, it's just so crowded that I don't want someone to accidentally separate us. Kyoko, am I making you uncomfortable in this position?" Ren wondered.

"I-I'm not uncomfortable really...it just feels different," Kyoko replied. She leaned back slightly and came into contact with Ren's chest. Immediately, she lurched forward and away from his chest as if she had been burned when she touched it. Ren couldn't see her face, but he could tell that the tips of her ears were red.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that," Kyoko apologized.

"You didn't mean to touch my chest or you didn't mean to jump away from it once you touched it?"

"Um...I think I've seen enough! How about we head down to the fifth floor to look around the museum?" Kyoko ignored his question.

"If that's what you want. Lead the way," Ren replied, placing a hand on hers and turning it around so that he could intertwine them. It made Kyoko's heart feel warm to hold his hand.

Squeezing through the crowd, Kyoko made sure to look behind her once in a while to make sure she hadn't lost Ren, although she also knew by the feel of his hand on hers that she hadn't. Finally, they made it through the crowd of people to the stairs and headed down to the fifth floor of the castle.

The first five floors of the castle all housed the museum, which described the process by which Toyotomi Hideyoshi built Osaka Castle. Unlike the observation deck, the museum was a lot less crowded, but neither Ren nor Kyoko let go of the other's hand as they looked around. Kyoko actually liked holding his hand now. His hands weren't rough, but they were firm against hers. They held a certain strength behind them. Kyoko could even feel the slight callouses on his knuckles from his teenage years.

The two spent around an hour looking around the various exhibits in the museum. Kyoko particularly liked the displays of real samurai armor. It made her appreciate the costumes on A Lotus in the Mire even more for their historical accuracy.

Once Ren and Kyoko reached the bottom floor, they chose to skip the gift shop and go back outside so that they could admire the castle itself. However, Kyoko was starting to regret that decision as she felt the hot sun's rays beat upon her.

"It's so warm today," Kyoko said.

"It is. They're selling ice cream over there. Do you want some? It might help you cool down."

"Ice cream sounds really good right now."

"What flavor?"

"Any flavor is fine."

"Ok. Then how about frog leg-flavored ice cream?"

"Does that even exist?" Kyoko laughed.

"I'm not sure," Ren chuckled.

"I've seen a couple people buy the matcha ice cream. Maybe I'll get that flavor. How about you, Kuon? Wait, do you even like ice cream?"

"I don't usually have ice cream, but it's particularly hot today. I think a matcha ice cream sounds good."

When Kyoko and Ren reached the front of the line, Kyoko relayed their order and took out money to pay with before Ren had the chance. The stand owner handed her two ice cream cones, and she passed one to Ren.

Kyoko took an experimental lick of her ice cream cone and was refreshed as the cold matcha flavor hit her tongue. It wasn't overly sweet, and it was very fragrant.

"How do you like it?" Ren asked.

"It's really good!" Kyoko exclaimed with a smile. She followed Ren to a bench and sat down next to him as she ate more of her ice cream. Ren seemed to be staring off into nowhere when Kyoko looked over at him. She looked at Ren quizzically, wondering why he wasn't eating his ice cream until he suddenly stood up, leaving her alone on the bench. Wait, what had just happened?

* * *

**What is Ren's favorite ice cream flavor? I know it wouldn't be chocolate since it's definitely too sweet for him. And Ren doesn't seem like a vanilla guy. I was thinking he would probably like tea or coffee flavored ice cream since it's slightly bitter (which is why I gave him matcha ice cream this chapter). Or most likely Ren wouldn't get ice cream at all...Let me know what you guys think!**


	14. Chapter 14

**It's been a while! I'm sorry for leaving you all on a cliffhanger for so long! I had some difficulties writing this chapter since I hadn't solidified their trip itinerary and had to research what else our couple could do in Osaka. Now I have a good idea for the next few chapters of what attractions Ren and Kyoko can visit :)**

**I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

* * *

Kyoko watched as Ren approached a little girl who she hadn't noticed before. The girl was quietly sniffling, and it seemed that her parents were not anywhere to be found. No one except for Ren seemed to pay her any attention.

"Are you okay?" Ren bent down to address the little girl.

"I can't find mommy!" The girl wailed. Her outburst finally caught the attention of passerby.

"Shhh, it's okay. I'll help you find her. What's your name?" Ren asked calmly.

"Aiko Tsurumi..."

"Aiko-chan, do you like ice cream?"

"Y-Yes..."

"I have an ice cream cone here that I haven't eaten yet. Would you like to have this ice cream cone while you answer some questions for me so that I can help you find your mom?"

"O-Okay..." Aiko wiped her tears away, holding out her tiny hands as Ren handed her the ice cream cone. She took a lick, and luckily she didn't seem like she was going to cry anymore.

"What does your mom look like? Can you tell me what she's wearing?"

"S-She has long hair and a pretty dress."

"What color is her dress?"

"Pink."

"When did you last see her?"

"Mommy went into that big castle..." Aiko pointed at Osaka Castle.

"Did she say why she went inside?"

"I was supposed to follow Mommy to the bathroom, but then Mommy was gone when a lot of people came between us," Aiko sniffled.

"Don't worry, Aiko-chan. Come with me, I'll help you find her," Ren held out his hand with a smile.

Kyoko watched as Ren took Aiko's hand and led her towards Osaka Castle. Unsure whether she should follow or not, Kyoko made the decision to stand up and trail after them. She followed Ren as he brought Aiko into the gift shop.

"This little girl lost her mom. Was there a lady with long hair in a pink dress that came in here looking for her child?" Ren asked the cashier.

"I didn't pay attention, sorry. You might want to ask security."

"I will. Thanks," Ren replied. He brought Aiko towards the entrance of the store where Kyoko had been silently watching them. Ren briefly made eye contact with her, flashing her an apologetic smile before brushing past her towards one of the security guards and asking him about Aiko's mom.

Ren was pointed to several different people before finally speaking with a security guard who had indeed spoken with a woman who lost her child outside. The security guard led Ren and Aiko to a small tent that had been erected to the side of Osaka Castle.

"Mommy!" Aiko ran up to the woman standing under the tent. The woman immediately sighed in relief, picking up Aiko in her arms.

"Where did you go? Mommy looked everywhere for you. Where did you get that ice cream cone?"

"This big brother helped me find Mommy and gave me ice cream," Aiko smiled, pointing at Ren, who unconsciously adjusted his sunglasses, careful to not reveal his identity.

"Thank you so much for your help in finding her," Aiko's mother bowed to him.

"There's no need to do that. I'm glad she was able to reunite with you," Ren smiled.

"Aiko, are you going to thank the kind big brother for helping you?" Aiko's mother asked.

"Th-Thank you..." Aiko said shyly. Ren waved goodbye to Aiko and her mom before returning to Kyoko, who had followed him all the way to the tent. She was sitting on a bench, ice cream cone still in hand as Ren sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry I gave away the ice cream that you bought for me and wasted your time," Ren smiled sheepishly.

"No! You did the right thing! I didn't even notice her crying in the crowd, but you handled the situation so well. You even knew that she would calm down if you gave her ice cream... I thought you never had any younger siblings, but you seem so good with children."

"I didn't have any younger siblings. Honestly, I don't know exactly how to act with kids, but I was thinking that when I was little, my parents would buy me things to make me stop crying, so maybe it would work for her as well. I feel sorry that you paid for the ice cream cone while I gave it away without asking."

"No, don't worry about that! D-Do you want me to buy you another one?"

"There's no need."

"Or if you really want some ice cream, y-you can have some of mine?" Kyoko said, holding out her cone. Ren's eyes widened in surprise before he suddenly leaned down and took a lick from her half-eaten cone before she could change her mind and take back her offer.

"Mmm. It's very refreshing," Ren smiled. Kyoko's cheeks felt hot, but it had been her suggestion after all. She timidly took another lick of her ice cream.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to buy a water bottle," Ren said, approaching a nearby stand. When he came back, he sat down next to Kyoko once again, taking a sip from his newly acquired water bottle.

"Kuon, do you want children?" Kyoko suddenly asked. Ren almost spit out his water, coughing at the question.

"Oh no! Are you all right?" Kyoko asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I was just surprised. Why do you ask?" Ren cleared his throat.

"After seeing how you treated that little girl who lost her mom and seeing how you interact with Maria-chan, I feel like you would be a great father. Even when we met each other as children in Kyoto, you knew exactly how to calm down a crying six-year-old girl."

"I don't really know whether or not I would want children. As an actor, I fear that I would be too busy to spend time with a child. I would probably lighten my workload if I had children. But I wouldn't want to force you to have children if you didn't want any."

Out of all of the embarrassing things that Ren had said to her on this trip, this had to take the cake. It showed how much he truly believed they would work out and have a family together.

"You say things like that so easily. It's no wonder that they call you the co-star killer," Kyoko grumbled, too quiet for Ren to hear.

"How about you? Do you want children?" Ren asked.

"I admit I haven't really thought about whether or not I want children. When I dreamed about marrying Sho before, I never thought about what would come after. I was so blinded to love that I thought marriage was the end, the happily ever after. Now that I have a clearer understanding of my future, I feel that my primary goal is to rise in the entertainment industry. If I really did want children, it wouldn't be for a while. You seem to have thought a lot more about the future than I have."

"Not exactly. The only thing that I've really thought about wanting to do in the future is marrying you…"

The ice cream cone in Kyoko's hand dropped and splat onto the ground.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I can buy you another one."

"Th-There's no need. I was almost finished anyways," Kyoko shook her head, ducking her head so that Ren didn't see the tomato-red blush that had erupted on her cheeks.

"I shouldn't even be saying such things when you haven't decided if you want to have a relationship with me," Ren rubbed the back of his neck.

For sixteen years, Kyoko had dreamed of marrying her prince Sho. Those days, she had been blind to the reality of love. It should have scared her to have someone tell her that he wanted to marry her. But instead, Ren was the one telling her that he had thought about marrying her, and Kyoko felt as if her heart was going to explode. It was beating erratically, and Kyoko couldn't help the inexplicable joy that she felt at his words. Her mind was screaming at her to think rationally, but her heart was doing backflips in her chest.

"Um, wh-what time is it?" Kyoko wondered, trying to change the subject as she instinctively looked towards Ren's watch before realizing that its hands weren't moving. Ren pulled out his phone to check the time.

"It's around 10:30. We still have some time before we have to meet the group. Do you want to walk around a little?" Ren stood up, holding out a hand. Kyoko took his hand, and together they made their way around the park.

As they walked around, Kyoko and Ren took a closer look at the moat around the castle and admired the various fountains and statues surrounded by autumn foliage. Eventually, they came upon a wall of posters advertising various events that would be taking place soon in Osaka-Jo hall, the multipurpose arena within Osaka Castle Park. It seemed to hold both sporting events and concerts, and Kyoko was surprised to see Ren suddenly frowning as he looked at the advertisements. Kyoko turned to see what poster Ren was frowning at and came face-to-face with a poster of Sho. It seemed to be advertising one of his future tours in Osaka.

"How does Shotaro follow me everywhere?" Kyoko grumbled.

"He still calls you, doesn't he?"

"What does it matter if he calls me? I just ignore it anyways. If it's really something important, then he just comes to bother me at the Darumaya."

"Then if you really don't like him bothering you, have you told your landlords not to let him in? Do you kick him out if he comes?"

"Not exactly..."

"Why not? If you wanted to, you could easily cut off all ties with him."

"Eh? I don't know if I would be willing to do that..."

"Aren't you encouraging his actions by letting him barge into your life whenever it's convenient for him? I don't understand why you keep encouraging his feelings like this after all he did to you. Even now, does he realize how much he hurt you? Has he ever apologized?"

"No…but we still grew up together. Even though he hurt me, all those years I had no one else. Even if he didn't feel the same way that I did, I can't just let my relationship with him go."

"So you still care about him. After all he did, you can just forgive him like that without an apology?"

"I know he's never apologized for what happened, but I don't want to be stuck in the past. T-There's always going to be a part of me that still cares about him, and I can't change that," Kyoko replied, her eyes filling with tears. She didn't even understand why she was crying over such a thing. Ren suddenly turned to her as his eyes widened in realization that he had pushed her too much. He pulled her into a hug.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said these things. They were very insensitive. I let my jealousy get the better of me," Ren apologized.

"Your jealousy?"

"You have such a close relationship with that guy, and like you said, there's always going to be a part of you that cares for him."

"But I like you, Kuon, not Shotaro."

"I'm sorry. I just don't know how to handle these feelings properly yet. I've never been in love, Kyoko. I've never been jealous before."

Kyoko knew better than anyone that Ren had never been in love. He had confided it to her as Bo, and of course she had never forgotten. But hearing him say it once again, Kyoko was reminded that she was the one to make that impregnable Tsuruga fortress open its walls to love.

"I know it's selfish of me to act like this, especially when we aren't even dating. I had thought that the character of Ren Tsuruga would disallow these types of responses, but sometimes I can't control myself. Oftentimes I find myself naturally whisking you away from other men or manipulating you with my words so that you only pay attention to me. It's unfair to you whenever I confuse you just to inflate my own ego. I'm sorry for my behavior," Ren bowed his head.

"Regarding Shotaro…it's true that in the past whatever I saw, whatever I heard, he occupied my mind. I felt like I couldn't get away from him under my own power. Now that I look back on his actions, I understand how you might have believed that I was still under his influence. He keeps interfering with my life, and even though I do want to try to forgive him and move on, he consistently tries to bring up our past. One time he even forced me to make a deal with him in the heat of the moment that I would return to Kyoto to work in the Fuwa Ryokan if I ever fell in love with you. It was only a few months ago, but now I realize how immature I still was to let him control my actions. I want to move forward and become a better me."

Ren hesitantly reached out to grab Kyoko's hand again and breathed a sigh of relief when her hand met his.

"I'm sorry for bringing such a thing up," Ren apologized. Kyoko shook her head.

"It's fine. Should we start heading back?"

…

Once they rejoined the tour group and headed back on the bus, Bus 1225 speeded off towards an okonomiyaki restaurant around the Osaka Bay Area. The savory pancake was an Osaka specialty. It reminded her of that okonomi-anpan calorie-weapon that the Ishibashis had once offered to her. Although she hadn't been intending on eating the monstrosity, she might have been persuaded to try a small bite if the calorie dynamite hadn't been destroyed when she was pushed down those stairs by Chiori…

As she tried the Osaka specialty, Kyoko found that regular okonomiyaki was not nearly as calorie-ridden. It was actually quite good. The restaurant even prepared and cooked the okonomiyaki right in front of them!

After lunch, Mari led the tour group towards the wharf where a gigantic pirate ship was docked. Mari bought the group tickets, and the tour group waited in line with other tourists wanting to board the pirate ship.

"This is the Santa Maria, modeled after the ship on which Christopher Columbus journeyed to the American continent. However, this ship is actually built two times larger than Columbus's actual ship. It's going to take us on a 45 minute scenic cruise around Osaka Bay. Relax and enjoy the scenery!" Mari explained as they waited.

After a few moments, the ship began to empty of its previous passengers. Then the line started to move, and the tour group crossed the gangway to board the ship. The couples of the group started to wander away to find seats on the ship. There seemed to be both an indoors area and stairs leading up to the deck. Kyoko and Ren followed the majority of people going indoors and entered what seemed to be a restaurant area with tables and chairs and glass windows allowing the occupants to view the scenery.

"Do you want to stay inside for a while since today is pretty warm? Since the cruise is 45 minutes, we can spend about half of our time inside and then go outside," Ren suggested. Kyoko nodded in agreement and followed Ren to one of the booths next to the window. He motioned for her to take her seat first, but once Kyoko slid into the seat next to the window, she saw Ren still standing.

Ren was debating whether to sit next to Kyoko or sit across from her, but ultimately he decided to take a seat across from her so that it would be easier to hold a conversation. Plus, he could see her cute reactions easier. Her elbow was propped up on the table, and she rested her chin in her hand, looking outside at the bay. He snaked a hand out to wrap around one of hers, bringing her attention to him.

"Hm?" Kyoko turned to him.

"Have you enjoyed the trip so far?" Ren wondered.

"Yes! I never had much of an opportunity to travel around Japan when I was growing up. The only times I've traveled out of Tokyo recently have been for off-location shoots. This is my first time in Osaka. I've really enjoyed spending time with you…" Kyoko replied, her hands shifting in her lap under the table.

"But you were looking forward to this trip with Kotonami-san. Instead you were forced to go on a honeymoon trip with me."

Kyoko's eyes widened. "It's not like I was forced...or maybe I was, but that's not the point. I like to spend time with Moko-san, but I'm glad that I can spend time with you! After so many months, although I was angry at you, in my heart I had missed speaking with you. I felt like something was missing everyday."

"I still feel sorry that you only have me as a companion on this trip."

"Kuon…is it that you aren't satisfied with spending this trip only with me?"

"No! That's not-"

"You're forced to spend every single moment with me, and you're not even able to have your own room like you probably were expecting before we were tricked to boarding the wrong tour bus."

"Kyoko-"

"I should give you some time alone-"

"Kyoko. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for my statements to come across in that way. I'm completely satisfied with your company. In fact, if you hadn't been attending the LME trip originally, I might not have gone at all."

"Eh? But I would have still been trying to ignore you…"

"I know."

"Then why would you go on the trip?"

"I wanted to see you. Even if you didn't want to speak to me, at least I could actually see you again for a week. I had thought that perhaps if I was courageous enough, I might even be able to exchange a few words with you."

Kyoko's brows scrunched up, and she squeezed Ren's hand as she hung her head. "Kuon, I…I wish I could take what happened these past few months back. I only ignored you because I was scared that everything we had gone through together didn't mean as much to you as it did to me. If I had known sooner that you returned my feelings…all of that could have been avoided."

"I'm just glad that we both know the truth now. This trip has exceeded my expectations since I've been able to spend so much more time with you than I thought I would get to."

"H-Have you ever thought about your actual honeymoon? Where would you want to visit?"

"I would visit anywhere as long as I could spend the time with the woman I love," Ren replied automatically.

"I…I don't understand how you're able to say such things so easily all the time…" Kyoko grumbled, remembering his comments on children and marriage from earlier. She really needed some kind of warning before he said such things. If she took the time to take stock of her grudge demons, she would probably find the majority of them to have perished from Ren's smiles and lovey-dovey comments. She needed to protect the few remaining ones!

Ren clapped a hand over his mouth as a laugh threatened to burst from his lips at the various expressions that appeared on Kyoko's face. However, as Kyoko looked up, his expression had morphed into one of innocent indifference.

"Y-You're trying to make fun of me!" Kyoko pouted.

"No, it's the truth. I just love your reactions," Ren smiled.

"I'll get my payback and see what expressions I can cause you to make, then," Kyoko smirked, rising up to the challenge.

* * *

**After reading through FB and seeing many people discuss Ren's unhealthy jealousy, I wanted to offer my take on it in this fic. I think we have to remember that Kyoko is Ren's first love. It's wrong whenever he manipulates her for his own feelings, but when has he ever had the opportunity to learn how to channel his emotions in a healthy way? I think it's good that Ren often realizes that the way he deals with his jealousy is wrong and that he's willing to change. With Kyoko by his side, I believe that he can grow. The topic of Sho will probably always be a sensitive topic for the two of them, and this is by no means their last conversation about it. It'll take some time :)**


	15. Chapter 15

After watching the scenery pass by from the indoors of the ship for a while, Kyoko and Ren agreed to explore the rest of the boat. As Ren opened a door leading to the outdoor deck, Kyoko felt a gust of wind. Since they were traveling on the water, it wasn't as hot as when they had been visiting Osaka Castle. It was actually quite windy right now, so Kyoko chose to take off the hat she had been using as a disguise to avoid losing it. She didn't think she needed it anyways. She wasn't nearly famous enough yet for people to recognize her so easily, contrary to what Ren believed.

On the deck, there were binoculars that one could deposit a small coin into to look through. Kyoko smiled at a little boy who was marveling at the view from the binoculars. His dad held him up on his shoulders since the boy was too short to reach the binoculars on his own.

There were multiple outdoor decks, and Kyoko followed Ren up a flight of stairs to arrive on the stern of the ship. Unlike the main deck that they had previously been on, the stern had multiple benches facing forward rather than to the sides. There weren't as many people here, and Kyoko didn't see anyone from their tour group.

"Do you want to take a picture?" Ren asked. Kyoko nodded, asking a lady nearby if she would help them take the picture. Kyoko took off her sunglasses, prompting Ren to do the same, although his face was still obstructed by the baseball cap he was wearing. After the lady had taken their picture, Kyoko reclaimed her phone and looked at the picture, gaping once again at Ren's flawless appearance. Did he ever take a bad photo? She would need to remember to remind Ren about those modeling lessons he promised her tonight.

Kyoko heard Ren gasp as a strong gust of wind suddenly knocked his hat off his head. Kyoko watched as the baseball cap was carried off by the wind, sailing through the air for a few seconds before falling into the water below. There was no way they could retrieve it.

"Oh my god. You're Tsuruga Ren!" The lady who had taken their picture exclaimed. Kyoko's face drained of color, but before she could think about how to deal with the situation, Ren suddenly thrust his sunglasses on her face, moving her behind him and turning her body around. The few people who were on the deck immediately gathered towards Ren, widening their eyes at seeing the star in the flesh.

"Tsuruga Ren!"

"Wow! Can we get a picture?"

Kyoko attempted to turn back towards Ren only to have him nudge her leg, urging her to stay turned away. Oh. He didn't want to be seen with her, right? That would definitely ruin his image…

"I would be glad to take pictures, but in return, can I ask that you all keep that you saw me to yourselves until we reach the wharf?" Ren asked. Even without seeing him, Kyoko could tell that he was sporting his infamous gentlemanly smile.

"Of course!"

"Anything for you, Tsuruga-san!"

Kyoko kept her face looking outwards, scooting out from Ren's back and around the railing. Everyone was too preoccupied with Ren to notice her, and once Kyoko reached a door leading inside, she pulled out her hat from her bag and replaced Ren's sunglasses with her own. Content that she was now hidden, she watched as fans fawned over Ren, asking him for pictures and autographs. Ah, the price of fame. Kyoko was glad that most people couldn't recognize her outside her characters yet.

There was a small window on the door, allowing for Kyoko to watch the situation outside as she leaned on a wall on the other side of the door. After a while, the fans slowly started to trickle away. Kyoko opened the door and "accidentally" dropped Ren's sunglasses, turning to head back inside and hoping that Ren would follow her.

"Ah, miss, could you hold the door?" Ren asked, dropping down to pick up the sunglasses without anyone noticing anything amiss. Kyoko nodded, holding the door for him and making her way to a museum inside the ship about Columbus. There was no one in the room, so it was a perfect spot for them to have all to themselves. Kyoko sat down on one of the benches that was facing away from the entrance, and Ren sat down next to her, his sunglasses already back on. Since they were alone in the room, he took them off but held them open and ready in his hand if anyone suddenly entered.

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what to do, so my first instinct was to protect your identity," Ren apologized.

"I understand. It would be bad for your image if the media found out that you were spotted with me."

"What? No, that's not it at all. I just didn't want you to be pulled into the situation. I don't care if the media photographs us together, but we aren't dating each other, and they would definitely spin the story. I know you don't want that right now. I don't care about what kind of blow I would face, but I wouldn't want them to antagonize you."

Kyoko looked up and suddenly gasped as she looked at Ren's face. He tilted his head to the side in confusion at her reaction.

"Is there something on my face?" Ren wondered.

"Y-Your eyes! You aren't wearing your contacts!" Kyoko exclaimed. Ren's face paled, and he swore in English.

"I can't believe I forgot. I should have been more careful. I should have known that something like this could happen," Ren leaned his elbows on his knees, putting his head in his hands.

"What are you going to do?"

"Damage control. I need to call Boss. He'll know what to do."

…

"I should have brought Natsuko on this trip. Without Ren and Mogami-kun around, I'm so bored. I was looking forward to enacting my five-step plan to help solve whatever fight they were having, but Kotonami-san and Yashiro-san ruined it! Ren won't even answer any of my texts! What if he blocked my number?" Lory complained to his assistant, Ruto.

"Tsuruga-san would not do such a thing in case of emergencies," Ruto responded.

"That boy's so ungrateful! After all I've done for him, all I ask is for him to respond to my texts and tell me about what's going on between him and Mogami-kun! I'm dying to know!"

"Tsuruga-san wants privacy at the moment, but I'm sure he'll tell you the details at some other time."

Lory's phone began to ring, the opening to one of his favorite otome games set as his ringtone. Lory absentmindedly looked to see who was calling him before springing up, immediately picking up once he saw the ID.

"Ren! You're finally answering! I knew you would come around! Now tell me, how has your trip with Mogami-kun been?" Lory spoke before Ren even got a chance to greet him.

"Boss, I've run into a problem. I forgot to put in my contacts, and people discovered my identity."

Lory's teasing smile disappeared. "What happened?"

"I was taking a picture with Kyoko, so I took off my sunglasses. A breeze knocked my hat off, and people recognized me."

"I see. It's not Mogami-san anymore but Kyoko..." Lory couldn't help but slip in a teasing comment.

"Boss." Even from the phone, Lory could tell that Ren would be glaring at him right now if he could. Lory cleared his throat. Right. Back to business.

"Did they take photos?" Lory asked.

"Yes. I should have been more careful."

"Was Mogami-kun's identity also revealed?"

"No. Only mine."

"That's good. You should change whatever disguise you're wearing right now so that they can't find you as easily if they post the photos online.

"That's not possible right now. We're on a pirate ship."

"It's not a pirate ship, Kuon," Lory heard Kyoko's voice faintly. Lory's eyes widened. Kuon? Just how far had they gotten in their relationship if she already knew his true identity?

Lory couldn't help but pump his hand into the air in glee. Ah, finally! Ren had taken that first step and confessed his true identity to someone! This was magnificent news! Lory would have to tell Kuu that Ren was finally on the path to accepting his past. Maybe he could even get Ren to contact his parents again since Kuu always talked off his ear about how many times he and Julie had watched that video of their son whenever Lory called him...

"Boss? Are you still there?" Ren's voice brought Lory's attention back to the situation.

"Right. Now that you've been photographed with your natural eye color, it looks like it's time for you to accept that colored contact sponsorship deal."

"What colored contact sponsorship deal?"

"The one that I'm making up. When you return from your trip, you'll model some colored contacts. We'll tell the world that you were given trial pairs and decided to incorporate them into your disguises. When you are able to, switch your outfit and change up your disguise. Hasn't Yashiro-san prepped you on this before?"

"I was careless this time."

"This isn't like you, Ren. You must have been too distracted with Mogami-kun," Lory teased.

"Okay, thank you for your help."

"W-Wait, how has your trip been so far-" Lory said before hearing Ren cut off the call.

"How could he? I give so much effort to help him, and this is how he repays me? He's so ungrateful!" Lory pouted.

…

When the Santa Maria returned to the wharf, Ren kept his head down and followed Kyoko to where the Bus 1225 tour group was gathered.

"I'm going to let you all explore the Osaka Bay Area for the next two hours. This will be our meeting spot. There's lots of small shops around here as well as an aquarium and Ferris wheel, so there's lots to see! If you want any suggestions for places to shop or dine, I would be happy to give you some!" Mari announced. The couples began to break away from the group, and Kyoko immediately led Ren towards the first clothing shop she saw, displaying various t-shirts in the front.

"Which shirt do you want?" Kyoko asked, sifting through a rack of shirts with Ren next to her. Some of the shirts were a bit...weird. She should at least try to find a normal one. She pulled out a gray t-shirt with the word Osaka on it, holding it up to Ren's chest and realizing that it was way too small. All of the larger sizes were out of stock.

"You can pick," Ren smiled at her. Kyoko's lips curled up as she remembered him saying the same thing as Cain when he had taken Setsu shopping for clothes.

"Okay. Then how about this one?" Kyoko held up a neon yellow shirt in Ren's size that said, 'If you don't like tacos, I'm nacho type' in English.

She couldn't imagine Ren wearing something so ridiculous, but then he took the shirt from her, heading towards the counter to check out before she grabbed his arm and stopped him.

"No! That was a joke! I'll find you something better." Kyoko browsed through another rack of shirts. All of them had stupid sayings like that nacho one! Weren't there any normal shirts in Ren's size?

"Kyoko."

Kyoko turned towards Ren to see him wearing a white bucket hat with a print of bananas.

"Do you think this hat works?" Ren asked with a boyish grin.

"No, I'll find you a better one. Imagine if someone found out that Tsuruga Ren, fashion icon, was wearing that kind of hat. Your fans would have a heart attack looking at such an ugly fashion statement!"

Kyoko darted over towards the hat section, finding a stylish black newsboy cap that fitted Ren's image and thrusting it into his hands before he could get anymore ideas. The hats were next to the sunglasses, but Kyoko spotted a few pairs of clear glasses among them. Picking them up, they didn't seem to have any prescription on them but were rather solely for fashion.

"Try this on," Kyoko handed a pair with rectangular frames to Ren. He took off his sunglasses to put them on, and Kyoko suddenly found her cheeks heating up. How had directors never put him in glasses before? The Japanese public would swoon if they ever saw him like this!

"Never mind. I think your sunglasses right now are fine," Kyoko ducked her head to hide her blush, flitting over towards the shirts section to find something for Ren to wear. She didn't notice Ren looking through a rack behind her until he tapped her on the shoulder.

"What about we get these?" Ren held up two black t-shirts, one in his size and one in hers. On the front of the larger one, there was the word 'Prince' with a crown over the P. The smaller one was in the same style, but instead of saying Prince, it said Princess with a dainty tiara over the P.

In the past, when Kyoko saw such cliche couples t-shirts, she would usually cringe in disgust. She didn't understand why people would want to wear such an ostentatious display of their affection for their significant other. To imagine Ren wearing such a thing with her...it would look absolutely ridiculous. But as Kyoko looked at that playful grin on Ren's face, she knew she couldn't back down from the challenge.

"I remember hearing that when a man buys a woman clothes, he wants something from her," Kyoko smirked. She took the shirt from him, holding it up to her to make sure it was in her size.

"I do want something. I want to match."

Kyoko's smirk was wiped off her face at his honesty, and she doubled over in laughter. Ren took the shirt from her hands and went to the cash register to pay before she could protest. When he returned, he told her that the employees had said that they could change into the shirts in the dressing room.

When Kyoko and Ren emerged, they stopped in front of a mirror on one of the walls of the store. The shabby t-shirt did not match with Ren's designer pants whatsoever, but of course he managed to pull the look off regardless.

"I have to take a picture to remember this," Ren laughed, taking out his phone and snapping a picture as Kyoko smiled widely. They looked like lovesick dorks, but it was charming in its own way.

...

Kyoko was feeling a bit self-conscious as she walked on the boardwalk hand-in-hand with Ren. People were openly staring at them as they walked past. Even if Ren was used to people staring at him (albeit for a different reason than for wearing a couples shirt), Kyoko wasn't! She was used to just fading away into the background, one plain girl among millions.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?" Ren noticed her discomfort.

"A little..." Kyoko admitted.

"Then how about we ride the Ferris wheel? That way people won't keep looking at us."

"Sounds good to me."

Kyoko bought the both of them tickets for the Ferris wheel (she had done so before Ren could even reach for his wallet, ha!), and after waiting in line for a few minutes, the two were ushered into a private cart. They sat beside each other, and Ren was able to take off his hat and sunglasses now that they were alone.

As the Ferris wheel began to move, Kyoko had the sudden realization that she had seen moments like this in movies. In a Ferris wheel, the protagonist and their love interest would be alone with no chance for interruptions, taking in the romantic sights of the city. Sometimes, there would be a sudden jerk by the wind, causing one to fall on the other in an adorable way. Other times, the couple would share their first kiss once their cart reached the very top.

…Surely Ren hadn't suggested that they ride the Ferris wheel to carry out one of those romantic clichés?

"Kyoko, are you okay? You look…scared?" Ren said, causing her to turn to him and realize just how close they were. This Ferris wheel wasn't even that cramped! Why was he so close to her all of a sudden?

"I…I'm fine!" Kyoko replied, purposely scooting to the side to put some distance between them, resting a hand against the glass. "Wow! Look at the pier from here!"

"We haven't even gotten that far up. The view should be even better once we reach the top."

Kyoko gulped, trying to focus on the elevator-esque music playing in the cart. A voice began to explain the safety procedures of the cart, and Kyoko awkwardly pulled her hand away from the glass when the voice said that they shouldn't lean against the glass doors. Whoops.

"I'm sorry. It's my fault that you're uncomfortable right now. I shouldn't have forced you to wear that shirt."

"No! It's not your fault! I could have refused, but I didn't. I'm not uncomfortable about the shirt anymore."

"Then, am I the one making you uncomfortable?"

"Of course not!" Kyoko lied through her teeth. Granted, it wasn't Ren's fault completely. She was the one making this into an uncomfortable situation all on her own! He had done nothing but act gentlemanly the whole time, so why was she so scared that he was about to make a move on her? Why was she so scared that he was going to try and kiss her? Didn't she want to kiss him? She liked him, and shouldn't people who liked each other kiss? They had even kissed before (although unknowingly on her part). Why was she so anxious that he wanted her?

"So…how has school been? You only have one more year left, right?" Ren asked.

"Yes. I'm really grateful to the President for letting me attend high school."

"Since you only have one more year of high school left, are you thinking of going to college?"

"I'm not sure. I plan to keep on pursuing acting, so I don't know if a college degree is necessary. How did you decide?"

"I already knew that I was going to continue acting for the rest of my life, so I didn't see a need for a college degree."

"I see…"

"Sometimes I do regret it though."

"Eh?"

"I never truly experienced what it was like to go to school. My parents hired tutors for me since I was little. Even when I came to Japan, I didn't go to school like others my age."

"Then…I'm sure if you ask the President, he could pull a few strings like he did for me!" Kyoko encouraged him.

"There's no point anymore. I'm already too recognizable to attend school. Besides, I learned to accept that I wouldn't have a normal childhood a long time ago," Ren smiled sadly. Kyoko instinctually reached out to take one of his hands in her own, wanting to wipe that expression off his face. He smiled gratefully at her gesture.

"That's why I'm glad I met you in Kyoto all those years ago. You were the first one who truly became friends with me for myself, not for my parents' influence or prestige. You didn't care that I was a Hizuri. With you, I could be myself, and I knew that you would accept me. Even now, you haven't let my heritage affect our relationship, and for that I'm grateful," Ren smiled brightly this time.

Kyoko felt their cart come to a stop, and when she turned to look at their surroundings, she realized that they were at the top of the Ferris wheel. They just had a heart-to-heart, just like in those romantic clichés! And now that they had done that, the only thing left in the Ferris wheel cliché was…

"Kyoko? Are you all right?" Ren asked worriedly. He traced a thumb over the back of her hand, and Kyoko flinched her hand away as if burned.

"I'm so sorry, but I'm just not ready to kiss you yet!" Kyoko blurted out.

"Kiss me? Did I give any indication that I would go back on what I promised you before? I said I wouldn't do anything until you were ready."

"Then…why did you suggest we ride on a Ferris wheel if not to follow that trope in movies where a couple goes on a Ferris wheel and has some kind of romantic moment together? Like…a kiss?"

"I promise I didn't suggest for us to ride the Ferris wheel to do that. You already made it clear earlier that you weren't ready for that sort of thing, and I would never force myself on you if you were uncomfortable. I only suggested for us to ride the Ferris wheel since I thought that it might provide a nice view of the city."

Kyoko felt bad that she had made those assumptions earlier. He was right. Kyoko herself knew that he would never push her if she wasn't ready.

"I don't want you to feel obligated to reciprocate my feelings. I'm sorry if I came across in that way." Ren began to close in on himself again, and Kyoko felt bad for ruining the situation with her unwarranted assumptions.

"No! I made assumptions about your intentions, so I should be the one who's sorry!" Kyoko argued. Ren sighed.

"If I did try to kiss you, I wouldn't want to follow those scenes in movies. It wouldn't be special. If I kiss you, then I would make sure it was a special moment between us and no one else. I would want it to be memorable."

Kyoko gasped as she suddenly remembered their kiss in Guam. "Wait! Is that why last time you jumped off the building after you kissed me? Don't tell me that you did that to make it memorable! At the time, I had thought that you had used your wings to fly away to safety, but you _actually_ jumped off the building! How could you do something so reckless?"

Ren rubbed the back of his neck. "I had to stay in character… And I thought it was safe. Once I jumped off the balcony, I grabbed onto a flagpole and flung myself onto the floor below."

"What if the flagpole hadn't been strong enough to support your weight? How could you do something so dangerous like that?"

Ren couldn't help his bark of laughter at her cute pout, causing Kyoko to glare at him. "Hey! This isn't funny! You could have been seriously injured! You're not actually a fairy!"

"You're right. I'm sorry to have worried you," Ren apologized.

"Next time, don't try to be so dramatic!" Kyoko chastised him.

"Next time?" Ren echoed her words with a hopeful smile slowly spreading across his face. Kyoko blushed. Oops. She really should think next time before she talked.

Ren laughed once again, and Kyoko felt her chest become warm at the light atmosphere between them. She was glad that her misunderstanding from earlier hadn't ruined the day for them. She really needed to stop making assumptions and trust Ren's intentions instead. Even though he had lied to her before about Corn, she had realized that it wasn't to laugh at her but because he cared about maintaining her childhood memory. He had given her no reason not to trust that he had her best interests in mind, even now. She needed to keep that in her heart and trust him. It was time for her to take that first step. Only then would she be ready to maybe start a relationship with him.

* * *

**I really enjoyed writing this whole chapter from the little bit of angst to the fluff :)**

**It was only a matter of time before Ren was found out. Do you guys think that he'll be able to keep hiding his identity, or will someone discover him yet again?..**


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